Pine Island Weather Blog

In this section of my Hurricane Guide we’ll be covering what actions to take when a storm is threatening. Prior to this point you should have reviewed and taken action on the steps and concerns outlined in Hurricane Guide 1: Preparing for Hurricane Season.

What is a Threatening Storm?

This is an often overlooked question. How do we know if a storm is a threat? That’s a pretty tough question to answer with any degree of certainty because of the large number of variables involved.

First, we have to understand that despite what the news and the various private agencies would have us believe, forecasting is an inexact science. And that’s a kind way to put it in my opinion. Without a doubt, great strides have been made over the last several years when it comes to predicting the paths of tropical systems, but there are plenty of examples where everyone got the forecast wrong. An excellent example of this was 2004’s Hurricane Jeanne. Jeanne was supposed to turn out into the Atlantic and basically be a non-story for any landmasses. Instead, she made her turn out into the Atlantic, then promptly looped back around to deal a severe blow to South Florida.

Next, we have to be careful when we look at the forecast tracks. Hurricanes are not points. They vary in size and the damaging wind fields can extend for hundreds of miles from the center. Basically, don’t treat the line on a forecast track as a line. Treat it as the center point of a larger impact “swath”.

It’s also important to remember that winds aren’t always the most damaging factor in tropical system. In some cases, rain and the subsequent flooding it causes wreaks far more havoc than a storms winds. 1999’s Hurricane Floyd is a perfect example of this.

A storm’s strength is probably one of the worst criteria for determining the threat of a storm for a variety of reasons. First, while much progress has been made in forecasting a storms track, forecasting a storms strength is still a very elusive task. We need look no farther than Hurricane Charley for an example of this. Second, for those of us in coastal areas, a slow moving tropical storm can be as dangerous as a hurricane because of storm surge. Finally, as mentioned above, winds are not the only threat from hurricanes.

In the end the call on whether a storm is a threat depends upon where you live and the specific circumstances. I offer the following guidelines for those of us on the Gulf Coast:

• Any tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico should be considered a threat, regardless of it’s current forecast track!
• Any system that is currently in the Caribbean should be considered a threat, regardless of it’s current forecast track!

The Good News

The silver lining in all of this is that despite the fact that they are the most destructive force of nature there is, in today’s day and age we generally have lots of time to prepare when a storm is threatening. Unlike a tornado or earthquake which can strike with little or no warning we have time measured in days to get ready for tropical systems. The key now is to utilize that advanced warning to best of our ability.

For the remainder of this guide, we will assume that a storm meets your criteria to be a credible threat to your location.

Review your preparations

First things first, review your preparations. If you have followed our advice in Hurricane Guide 1: Preparing for Hurricane Season, you should be ready. However, in reality there are probably a few items that haven’t been completed. NOW is the time to do so.

Obtain gasoline, water and food, and any prescription medicines you may need.

Gasoline stores for the generator and your car, water and food should be your first goal once you have made the decision to prepare for a storm. Why do this first? Because as we all know, things can get crazy at the pumps and the grocery store.

Fill up your car and any gasoline storage containers you have. If you wait too late to do this you will run into long lines and the very real possibility that the station may run out of gas before you can get yours.

If you’ve properly prepared before hurricane season started, there will be little you need from the grocery store but there may be some last minute items you need, such as ice and food items you may have forgotten.

Verify generator operation.

Start up your generator and make sure it is working properly. Verify operation of your transfer switch.  This will give you and opportunity to repair any issues you run into.

Install your hurricane protection.

Unless you are fully equipped with powered roll-down type shutters this can be a very time consuming task. Get it done and out of the way. You don’t want to be out in the wind with a hurricane bearing down on you trying to put up shutters.

Store all loose items

Store all of those items that would be exposed to high winds and that are susceptible to being blown around or over. These items can become missiles in a storm damaging your home or your neighbor’s. Here’s a list of some often over-looked items:

• Pool and hot tub covers
• Wind chimes
• Hanging planters
• Lawn and deck furniture

Do Your Laundry

That may sound a bit silly but the electricity may be off for an extended period after a storm. You aren’t going to be able to wash your clothes during that time and you could get stuck with a pile of dirty underwear and no clean ones to replace them.

Stage for evacuation

Pre-stage all the items that you will take with you in the event of evacuation. This will speed the loading of your vehicle and give you a chance to double check that you have everything. Pre-staging these items will allow you to simply load the car and go instead of having to gather everything up in a hurry as you are trying to head out the door. It’s easy to miss something when you are rushing to get everything together. Reduce your stress and pre-stage!

Verify your evacuation plan

Double check your evacuation route for possible construction and road closings. Call your destination, be it hotel, family or friends and verify that you will be able to stay.

Backup and prepare your computers

Make sure that you have current and successful backups of all important data on your PC(s).

If you evacuate:

• Take the backups with you when you leave. 
• Unplug all the cables from the PC and place the tower and monitor, and any other equipment you wish to protect, in plastic bags sealed with duct tape to protect them from water damage in the event a window or your roof is compromised. Get them up off the floor onto a table or second story room if possible to reduce the risk of damage from flooding.
• If you have room you may want to take the tower with you. Unless you have one of the All in one type of PCs, the tower is the actual PC and it contains all of your data. Therefore it is the critical component. If you have room in your vehicle disconnect all the cables and take only the tower. Monitors, printers and keyboards can all be replaced. Your data is what is important to protect.

 

Disclaimer:

Anole Computer Services, LLC and Larry Boyd are providing this data “as is,” and Anole Computer Services, LLC and Larry Boyd disclaim any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Anole Computer Services, LLC or Larry Boyd be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data. The user assumes the entire risk related to the use of this data. Neither Anole Computer Services, LLC nor Larry Boyd are affiliated with any official weather prediction or disaster/security related agencies. Agencies like NOAA and the Department of Homeland Security exist to provide official information in these matters.