“LARGE HURRICANE EARL CONTINUES RELENTLESSLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST…POSES A THREAT TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST…” This statement tops the National Hurricane Center’s section on Hurricane Earl, the latest tropical storm to hit the U.S. Hurricane Earl is expected to make landfall on the East Coast within the next 48 hours, promoting thousands of residents and tourists in the coastal areas North Carolina and the surrounding states, such as Virginia, to evacuate.
“Earl’s effect on the East Coast will depend on when it makes its expected turn to the northeast.
“A later-than-expected turn could mean the storm’s eye makes landfall on the extreme eastern tip of North Carolina as a Category 3 storm late Thursday or early Friday.
“If that happens, hurricane-force winds also could reach New York’s Long Island and Cape Cod in Massachusetts.”
The National Hurricane Center recommends you take the following actions when a hurricane is predicted for your area:
BEFORE a Hurricane:
Put your emergency disaster kit together. Make sure they are in one location in your home.
Write out your emergency disaster plan. Discuss the plan with your family, nominate an out-of-town family contact, and decide on an evacuation area and meet-up spot should you get separated.
During a Hurricane WATCH:
Double-check your emergency disaster kit. Replenish anything in it that may be low, such as water, medications and batteries for flashlights and radios.
Take protective and preventative measures that may take extra time. Such measures may include filling your car with gas, securing your boat or boarding up the windows of your home or place of business.
During a Hurricane WARNING:
Have your emergency disaster kit ready to grab and go.
Put your emergency disaster plan into action. Decide on the safest location to wait-out the hurricane.
A look at the weather map shows three storms swirling in the Atlantic Ocean today: Danielle, Earl and the latest, Fiona. Danielle, once just a tropical storm, is now a category 4 hurricane—the first major one of the season. Hurricane Danielle is reported to have 135 mph winds and a path that leads it east of Bermuda at the moment. Tropical Storm Earl only has 45 mph winds, but MSNBC reports its path looks a little more problematic and is worth watching closely. Tropical Storm Fiona just developed off the east coast of Africa and few details are known about it right now.
Prepare Your Home against Hurricane Water Damage
With storms starting late in the hurricane season, home and business owners need to keep back-to-school preparations and hurricane preparations in the back of their minds. A common misconception about hurricanes is that their winds cause the most damage. However, the truth is that water is a hurricane’s most damaging factor. Two-inches of water flooding a home can cost up to $8,000 in repairs.
‘Tis the season for hurricanes, and it’s up to you to be prepared:
Know the most vulnerable places in your building or home. Find cracks and seal them ASAP, even if the weather forecast is nice. Make sure you focus on cracks around windows and doors since those can make a little bit of water turn into a big problem.
Have sandbags ready. Even if you are not technically in a flood zone, it’s always smart to place sandbags in the areas under the doors of your home and business when the weather is nasty.
Place important items and items you do not want getting wet on the second story of a business or home. If you have heavy furniture, raise it onto cinderblocks.
Cover your belongings with a plastic tarp; your electronic equipment will thank you. Though a room may not flood, there is always the potential for a leak in the roof.
Call a professional ASPAP if there is any water damage after a storm. The longer water damaged items and wet documents sit around, the more damage they will experience. Additionally, bacteria and mold thrive in and on wet or damp items, which could put your family’s health at risk.
It only takes a couple hours of work to protect your belongings from water damage and save you thousands of dollars. Make an emergency preparedness checklist today.
Once the April showers pass and the May flowers bloom, it’s time to get ready for hurricane season. Hurricane season lasts 5 solid months; beginning in June and lasting until the end of November. Before the season is upon us, the time to prepare for hurricanes it is now.
Make a plan. Those who suffered the most during and after a hurricane were the least prepared. Develop a plan with your family that includes evacuation routes, lists of important phone numbers, what to do with family pets, and preparing emergency food and medical kits.
Protect your property against hurricane damage. Purchase hurricane shutters or boards for your windows. Plan for water to enter your home: move important or valuable items to an attic or the second level of a building.
Know how to recover after a hurricane. Even though they may feel eternal, storms eventually die-out. Know ahead of time what you are going to do to recover your home, business and personal items after the storm.
Act now to be hurricane-ready. Doing so will allow you to focus on keeping you and your family safe instead of having to push through grocery and hardware store crowds because you waited until the last minute.
Texas and Louisianna are watching Hurricane Ike closely as it just misses the Florida Keys and continues to build strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Ike is expected to reach the U.S. this weekend somewhere along the Texas-Louisiana border.
The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry has already declared disasters in 88 Texas counties to help in the hurricane preparations needed as Ike looms. 7,500 National Guard men and women are currently on standby as well. Ike’s pathway is still not entirely clear but FEMA and the National Hurricane Center are keeping a close watch on it so that they can properly give evacuation orders in the next 48 hours.
In Louisiana, residents are being told to prepare hurricane emergency kits – water, food, batteries, etc. – even as thousands of residents remain without power after Gustav. Even if Ike does not directly land in Louisiana, winds and rains are still expected to pummel the area.
Tropical Storm Dolly is gaining strength and heading toward the southern coast of Texas, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are reporting. The storm currently is registering winds of 70 mph; winds between 74-95 mph are considered a Category 1 hurricane. The storm is expected to hit the Texas coastline by midday Wednesday, July 23.
Hurricane warnings are now in effect from Brownsville to Corpus Christi, Texas as well as the northeast coast of Mexico. The storm, whether a tropical storm or a hurricane by the time it reaches land, is expected to create 4-8 inches of rain, with some areas seeing isolated amounts of 15 inches. 1200 National Guard troops have been activated.
Residents in the area are already gearing up and preparing for the potential wind and flood damage the storm may cause. Homes are being boarded up, supplies are being collected and important family possessions, documents and books are being moved and stored for protection.
