Hurricane Season brings torrential rains, pounding surf and a host of other threats to health and home. Being prepared with the right kinds of supplies, information and attitude can make the difference between survival and disaster.
A monstrous presence engulfs the coast, pushing inland ahead of it surging waves rising fifteen feet, casting forward lightning storms, spawning tornadoes and howling forward at speeds that equal a redlining stock car racer. Once a year this might be a bad scene, but with hurricanes season covering half the year, this scenario could occur two, three, four times or more.
What is a hurricane to beleaguered Floridians and Georgians is a typhoon to the Japanese. There are a number of names for it, but whatever country it hits, under whatever name it’s called, the impacts are always the same.
What is a hurricane?
A tropical cyclone starts off as a tropical depression, which is a system of clouds and thunderstorms with sustained winds of 38mph or more. There is no eye to a tropical depression, nor is there a marked spiral shape. It is called a “depression” because it is a low-pressure system.
Once the winds pick up into the 38 to 73mph range the storm becomes a tropical storm. Typically the eye is still absent, but the infamous cyclonic shape begins to form. At this stage the storm has a name given to it by government weather services.
Once sustained maximum winds reach 74mph plus, the storm becomes a hurricane (or typhoon, or tropical cyclone, or severe cyclonic storm; whatever the name, it packs a serious punch.) At this stage the hurricane develops an eye, an area of relative calm in the center of the swirling winds and rain, which is the area of lowest atmospheric pressure.
When is hurricane season?
Officially, hurricane season begins the first of June and carries on six months to end November 30th. While June 1 to November 30 are the start and stop dates, hurricanes have occurred outside this range of dates. August through October typically host the strongest of hurricanes during the season, especially in the Atlantic Basin; September is the most active month globally.
What are the categories of hurricanes?
Once a low-pressure system has made the journey from tropical depression up to hurricane, it becomes classified using the Saffir-Simplson Hurricane Scale. Herbert Saffir, a civil engineer, and the director of the National Hurricane Center, Bob Simpson, developed this scale in 1969. This scale, only used to classify hurricanes that form in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, ranks hurricanes by how much flooding and damage they are expected to cause when over land based on their sustained winds.
Category 1
Sustained winds 74–95 mph; storm surge 4-5 feet; potential damage mainly to trees, unanchored mobile homes and vehicles. Homes and other firm structures would take zero to minimal damage from a Category 1 Hurricane. Coastal flooding could occur.
Category 2
Sustained winds 96–110 mph; storm surge 6-8 feet; potential damage strong to trees, mobile homes and vehicles. Homes and other firm structures would suffer mainly roofing damage and broken windows from a Category 2 Hurricane. Flooding likely and could cause moored water craft to break their moorings.
Category 3
Sustained winds 111–130 mph; storm surge 9-12 feet; potential damage will most likely destroy mobile homes and smaller structures. Larger structures will take severe damage and can be hurt by flood debris. Flooding can move inland with a Category 3 Hurricane.
Category 4
Sustained winds 131–155 mph; storm surge 13-18 feet; potential damage will include the roof failure and total destruction of smaller structures. Flooding could move far inland, causing damage from a Category 4 Hurricane to reach areas normally untouched by coastal storms.
Category 5
Sustained winds equal to or greater than 156 mph; storm surge equal to or greater than 19feet; potential damage will include total destruction of smaller structures, possible roof collapse or destruction of larger structures. Residential evacuation of large areas is common for a Category 5 Hurricane.
How much damage are we talking?
Hurricane rank only lists the physical characteristics of the storm and the damage potential. While the deadliest storm to hit America (Galveston, TX, in 1900; 8,000 people died) was a Category 4, lesser-ranked hurricanes can be deadlier and cause more damage. A lot depends on the preparedness of the area, the amount of advanced warning, and the infrastructure as well as the speed of the storm. A slow moving Category 2 can pound and wear down structures, causing costlier devastation than a Category 3 that zips through the area.
The danger from a hurricane lies more in the storm itself; the storm-spawned side effects can be equally devastating. The movie Twister did a good job showing the kind of devastation hurricane’s cousin, the tornado, can pass out. Tornadoes are one of a variety of side effects of a tropical cyclone, which include storm surge, lightning storms, flying debris and flooding.
Hurricane Hazards
The impact of all of these hazards is far reaching. Lightning can cause power surges and outages, not to mention fires. Flying debris and felled trees and power poles can take out power for thousands of residents of a storm struck area. Falling trees and mighty winds can tear off roofs, leaving no protection from the elements.
Going without power has impacts that range from inconvenience to life threatening, such as in the case of medicine that needs to be refrigerated.
Other hazards are often not thought of until they occur, such as price gouging by unscrupulous merchants, seeking to take advantage of the desperate, and roofing repair scams from conmen who often drive into town seeking easy prey.
The picture painted by a hurricane’s onslaught and aftermath is a bleak one; the good news is that quite a lot of the hard times brought on by these storms can be lessened and even prevented by the proper amount and kinds of preparation.
Preparation
Be Informed
Television and radio stations in areas that are most often hit during hurricane season typically announce its approach well in advance. Take advantage of the forewarning by acting early in your efforts to be prepared. You will need to understand the alerts when they come:
The National Weather Service typically provides 12 to 24 hours of advance warning of hurricanes approaching land; typically local news and websites like Weather.com and NOAA.com can provide tracking information up to a week or more in advance.
When the approach is imminent, a “hurricane watch” is issued. When the watch is announced, everyone in the area affected needs to remain alert to further advisories and be prepared to act.
When the watch becomes elevated to a “hurricane warning,” it means that winds in excess of 74 mph, or rough seas and a danger of a strong surge, are expected to make landfall within 24 hours. When a warning is in effect residents in the area should begin immediate action to weather the storm.
It is very important to remain informed during a hurricane. Local news channels and cable weather channels provide a good source of constant information, as do many local radio stations. Having a good supply of batteries and a battery operated radio is advisable; in the aftermath of a hurricane, especially if an area is hard hit, knowing what gas stations are open and being aware of a variety of advisories (such as whether or not it is safe to drink tap water) are imperative.
In the advent of an evacuation, knowing your proper evacuation route and where the shelters are located in your area is important; also important is what the shelter rules are, such as no pets, etc.
Check with your insurance company about the kinds of coverage they will provide. Be aware of deductibles, and that most homeowner insurance will not cover damage by flooding.
Be Protected
With high winds comes the danger of turning innocent lawn furniture into deadly missiles; tie down or bring indoors such items as potted plants, wind chimes and lawn chairs.
Boarding windows is recommended over taping. If your living situation does not allow for it, such as living in an apartment complex, it is recommended that a mattress be placed over the window to stop flying glass and slow potential projectiles.
The safest place to be in a structure during a hurricane is an internal room with no windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
Be Prepared
Many experts suggest a weeks worth of supplies when planning to weather a hurricane. Non-perishable and canned foods are important (and don’t forget a can opener!) as well as plenty of drinking water. Don’t forget pets; keep an ample supply of food and other items, such as cat litter.
Here are some specific supplies:
Extra Clothes
Blankets
Sleeping bags
Valuables
Flashlights
Extra bulbs and batteries
Candles
Matches
Hurricane Lamp
Special-diet food
Paper plates (and cups and utensils)
Bleach
Grill, coal, lighter fluid
Cooler
Water containers
Personal Items
Baby food, diapers, medicine, etc
Two-week supply of prescription medicine
Games/books
Generator and fuel
Bottled water (at least one gallon per person per day)
Two of the most important items to have when a hurricane strikes are cash and gas. Once the power goes out, ATM machines wont dispense cash and gas pumps wont dispense fuel. Stores that don’t have power, but might still be open, can’t run a credit card; cash will be the order of the day until power is restored.
Fuel can become scarce and remain so; if a gas station is low to start and blocked roads or other hazards slow down gas trucks, hurricane survivors are likely to see lines of cards down the block at the few stations that have gas.
Being ready before the warnings and watches begin is key to minimizing discomfort and disaster. Once they begin the lines will form at the hardware stores for boards and nails, grocery stores will quickly run out of bottled water, and gas stations will be busy constantly. Once the storms pass, the price gougers will appear, ice will vanish from stores, and options for acquiring food and supplies will be severely limited.