Preparing for Hurricanes

Hurricanes are highly destructive storms that affect states throughout the United States. Florida, Virginia, Louisiana and Texas have all suffered devastating hurricane damage in the past. If a severe hurricane is coming your direction, you usually have some advance warning. Evacuation is your best bet if you are advised by authorities to do so, but you can also prepare your home prior to hurricane season to help reduce the risk of severe damage when a storm hits.

While these measures are limited and nothing can truly prevent the damage of a forceful hurricane, take these measures if you live in an area that is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms.

How a Hurricane Forms

It is important to understand how weather conditions create a hurricane so that you recognize these conditions when they occur. Warm air rises over the ocean and leaves an area of lower pressure underneath it. That lower pressure area then gets condensed and warmed from the higher-pressure air around it, warming it and then causing it to rise as well. The moist air then cools off as it rises, and clouds start forming. This process continues, feeding off of the air and evaporation from the ocean to create a storm with a low-pressure, calm area in the center of it and high-pressure currents surrounding it. The currents start rotating at a faster and faster rate, creating high winds that continue accelerating. The center of the hurricane is called “the eye” and is typically very mild.

However, if you are in the eye of a hurricane, severe storms are coming as the eye moves on and you face the surrounding high-pressure systems.

Hurricanes require water to remain strong. However, it takes time for a hurricane to lose force once it reaches land. This often results in miles of devastation in from the coast where the hurricane came from before it starts to die down and dissipate. The need for water is why landlocked states away from the ocean are not in danger of hurricanes.

If you hear that a hurricane warning is in effect, it means that the conditions needed for a hurricane to form are possible for the next 48 hours. A hurricane warning means that hurricane-specific conditions are expected in the next 36 hours. Never take these predictions lightly, and follow all instructions given by local authorities when a watch or a warning is issued.

Preparation

• Assemble a disaster supply kit if you don’t already have one. The kit needs supplies that benefit you if social services and local infrastructure are disrupted temporarily. Your kit needs to last you at least three days. You’ll need bottled water (one gallon per person per day), a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, a whistle to use when calling for help if needed, cellphone with extra charged batteries, dust masks, stick matches, a fire extinguisher and a basic tool kit with screwdriver, pliers and a hammer. Also include food and water for any pets you have, along with water-resistant blankets or sleeping bags for everyone. Keep as many of the supplies as possible in waterproof bags or containers.
• Subscribe to a text-alert service if you live in a possible hurricane zone. This helps you stay informed if weather conditions suddenly turn hazardous.
• Remove any large branches from trees that are hanging over your house or close to any windows. This helps reduce the risk of window damage from nearby debris.
• Place security shutters over the windows or board them up to further reduce the risk of broken glass.
• Replace any gravel or lava rock landscaping on your property with shredded bark to lessen the amount of debris near your home.
• Move all valuables into plastic bags and store them high in the house to protect them from flooding.
• Withdraw enough cash to get you through two weeks worth of hotel and meal spending just in case you need to evacuate and electronic means of payment aren’t working.
• Turn off the water valves, the gas and all the power in the home until the storm is passed.
• Move all outdoor furniture into the garage or basement so it won’t blow around during the storm.
• Stay away from all doors and windows during the storm. Keep all family and pets in a room towards the center of the house with no windows. A basement is ideal.
• Purchase a generator to use in the aftermath of a hurricane in case the power isn’t working. Keep it fueled, but never run it inside the house. It needs to be outside when turned on for proper ventilation.
• Keep a bike handy in case roads are damaged after the storm and you can’t drive to get anywhere.
• Request a professional inspection to make sure your house is built to withstand a heavy storm if you have never had the inspection done in the past. This gives you the chance to fix any vulnerabilities and to strengthen your home before it’s too late.

Hurricanes are never to be taken lightly. Only stay in your house during a hurricane if you have been told by authorities that it is safe to do so. Mobile home residents should always evacuate, as should tenants in high-rise buildings. Make hurricane awareness and preparation a year-round endeavor, and you won’t be caught unaware if a storm ever comes knocking on your door.