Hurricane season June 1st
Are you new to the hurricane prone areas? Or a long timer? If and old hand the reminder is always useful so we don't get undmindful.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutrsmc.shtml
Is a great resource for all areas.
This years prediction which was recently released has above average activity because the lack of El Niño
70% probability of 11-17 named storms with winds 39 mph or higher based on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
5-9 of these possible hurricanes at 74 mph or higher.
2-4 major hurricanes with winds of 111mph winds or higher.
An average season based on historical data is 12 named storms.
While it seems like a lot of storms. A lot of them do not make landfall or if they do they fizzle out right at landfall.
Hurricanes are like tornadoes the creation of them has to be exact, which we know the basics but still don't know the exact balance to create one let alone be sustainable over long distances of land and water.
The best thing for those in hurricane prone areas is to always be ready. We just had one by the name of Arlene come off the middle of the Atlantic and move north BEFORE the season.
It's a choice to stay or go on most cases. The choice to stay can be deadly, if not for you, your family which might include pets.
The dangers of hurricanes are flooding, flying debris, tornadoes, electrocution to start of with.
People get injured and there is very limited availability of emergency services.
Dehydration because lack of clean water or limited supply.
Disease and illness from sewer systems backing up to residential areas or mixing in with flood waters.
If a person does decide to stay they will need first aid kit, suggestions for water are 3 days supply for one gallon per person per day, but remember sewers are known to get backed up. At least a 3 days supply of not perishable food, stored in a safe place and and ways to cook it. I personally recommend at least a weeks supply minimum and most disaster preparedness plans suggest the same now.
Cover your windows with wood/shutters or simply and X across the window pane wether you stay or leave.
You will need a radio or the like to stay up to date on alerts. Cellular is ok but the towers will inevitably go down or get overloaded and they need to be kept charged for emergencies.
A nice neighborly thing to do is to get your neighbors phone numbers if you or they leave and keep them posted of the situation or they can keep you posted.
Take any valuables or momentos you would be sad to get lost. Maybe not from the first storm or the 20th but eventually something will get destroyed.
It's all what your comfortable with, we left for some and stayed for some; we actually slept through one.
If you do evacuate plan ahead of time where your going and how you'll get there because traffic in most evacuation zones are long hours of traffic jams of people out of gas, bathroom breaks and medical emergencies.
Stay prepared and safe.
If your in the Gulf that photo is for you guys and gals as they are watching down there.