Beware 2009 Hurricane Season

Does the lack of tropical storms and hurricanes mean that the East Coast and Gulf Coast are in the clear? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Here we are, over halfway through July and we still have not had a named storm or a land falling storm. Do not let this fool you. Climatologically, the season ramps up in August and peaks in the early to middle part of September. The hurricane season does not end until November 30^th. It only takes one powerful storm in the entire season to wreak havoc.

I'm sure everyone remembers Hurricane Andrew, a powerful category five hurricane that made landfall just miles south of Miami, Florida on August 24, 1992. I was only five years old at the time, but I remember watching the Weather Channel and seeing the hurricane making landfall. At the time, my grandfather lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Thankfully, he was spared the worst of the storm, but many areas were not so lucky. Other communities, such as Homestead, Florida, were completely wiped off the map. In the end, Andrew became the costliest hurricane in U.S. history with nearly $30 billion in damage (now beaten by 2005's Hurricane Katrina). That year, Andrew was the only hurricane to make landfall in the United States and only two storms made landfall that year. The entire season saw only six named storms.

Just because a season starts out slow doesn't mean it won't be destructive. You can have a season with two storms and you could have one of them turn into a dangerous category four hurricane and make landfall in a major city. During another season, you can have twenty named storms and none of them may hit the U.S. Whether or not a storm hits land depends on several factors: cold fronts, steering flow, presence of high pressure or low pressure, etc. I am sure many of us have heard of the Bermuda High in the central Atlantic. Typically, the high moves farther west, storms will tend to be turned more to the north as they traverse the Atlantic. If the high moves closer to the U.S. east coast, storms will trek farther south (as was the case with Hurricane Andrew in1992). Typically, El Nino seasons are less active because there are a lot of strong upper level winds and upper level storms across the Atlantic Ocean. These conditions are not good for development.

According to weather experts at the Weather Channel, we are transitioning into an El Nino period. So, does that mean we are in the clear? Nope, it doesn't. Like I said, it only takes one storm to ruin things for everyone. This quiet period is the time for people who live near coastal areas to get ready. That means preparing an evacuation plan, buying necessary supplies such as extra food and water (enough for at least three days), batteries, first aid kits, weather radios, etc. In the event that a hurricane threatens, people must know where they will go if an evacuation order is issued. Also, check over your home insurance plans and see if it will cover the damage. If not, look into options that do. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, many people who suffered total losses were underinsured and so their homeowner's insurance turned out to be practically worthless. People have to make sure that they specify the right amount of coverage and purchase the right kind of coverage.

I am making a sincere plea to those individuals who live near a coastal area to take these tips seriously. If a storm threatens and you are told to evacuate, do so. If a hurricane warning is issued for your area, that means hurricane conditions are expected in 24 hours or less. If a hurricane watch is issued, that means hurricane conditions are possible in 36 hours. Do not wait until the storm is knocking at your back door to prepare. We saw what happened with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Over one thousand people died because they did not leave or they didn't have the resources to leave. Just because things have been quiet so far does not mean that will last. The next Andrew or Katrina could be on your doorstep in a matter of days.

This hurricane season has been very quiet so far, but this may not last. Follow these guidelines and be safe.