Hurricane Preparedness

Hurricane HD 2.0 – The Definition of Excellence in iPad Storm Tracking

Posted on by Kitty Code

Orlando, Florida – Kitty Code, LLC announces a major update for Hurricane Season 2011 to Hurricane HD for the iPad, and Hurricane for the iPhone.

With an area of interest already being watched off of the eastern seaboard of the US, we have a stark reminder that Hurricane Season is here, and it’s time to be prepared. Forecasters expect another busy Atlantic Hurricane Season, and for people with an iPhone, iPod Touch or an iPad, there’s no better way to stay informed than with Kitty Code’s Hurricane and Hurricane HD apps.

Hurricane HD has received a major update for 2011 with many features to keep you informed. The newly updated tracking map now allows for the display of multiple tropical systems simultaneously, while the Hurricane HD Historic Storm Library gives you access to memorable storms of the past and can be displayed along side current storms within the tracking map. With the new Storm Center, active storm bulletins, forecasts, satellites and radar are all at your finger tips, along with the ability to play through storm tracks. Hurricane HD now also includes push notifications, giving you the ability to stay up to date with whats happening in the tropics anytime day or night.

Hurricane for the iPhone and iPod Touch has been updated to include world tropical cyclone, typhoon and hurricane tracking on the interactive tracking map. Hurricane is the first application of its kind to cover tropical systems around the world. We’ve also added push notifications to keep you informed of any critical developments.
Continue reading →

Getting Prepared For Hurricane Season

Posted on by Kitty Code

Today marks the start of the 2009 Northeast Pacific Hurricane Season.

Living in Central Florida, we have another 15 days to wait until the Atlantic Hurricane Season begins, but we have done a few things to prepare already. A few months ago, we wrote an article asking Are you prepared? which gives you a general, getting started list, as well as common sense tips and tricks that people who have lived in Hurricane prone areas should already know. Continue reading →

National Hurricane Conference and Storm Surge

Posted on by Kitty Code

With 21 days to go until the Northeast Pacific Hurricane season begins, and 38 days until the Atlantic Hurricane Season begins, it is time to make sure you are prepared.

April 6-10 was the National Hurricane Conference. This year it was held in Austin, Texas and covered a lot of great information including specifics about Ivan and it’s effects on the people of Texas. One of the major subjects of discussion was the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some say that the scale does not accurately portray the storm surge of a hurricane. I feel that the real problem is the lack of understanding of storms which are very strong (major) while out in the Gulf of Mexico, but weaken as they come closer to land. Continue reading →

Two Months Until Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins… Are you prepared?

Posted on by Kitty Code

With two months until the Atlantic Hurricane Season begins, it is time to start getting our hurricane kits back in order. Everyone knows the standards:

  • Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • weather radio
  • battery/solar/hand crank radio or tv
  • canned goods
  • one gallon of water per person per day for one week
  • water on hand for sanitation (toilets, washing)
  • Baby wipes (even if you don’t have babies!)
  • non-chlorine bleach and water tablets (to sanitize water & clean)
  • camp stove or other non-electric cooking appliance
  • propane for the camp stove, or appropriate fuel
  • fill your car with gas
  • have cash on hand (power out means no ATM)

What all of this really means is – Continue reading →

Saffir-Simpson Scale

Posted on by Kitty Code

All hurricanes are dangerous, but some more so than others. The way storm surge, wind, and other factors combine determines the hurricane’s destructive power. To make comparisons easier-and to make the predicted hazards of approaching hurricanes clearer to emergency forces-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hurricane forecasters use a disaster-potential scale which assigns storms to five categories.

Category 1 is a minimum hurricane; category 5 is the worst case. The criteria for each category in the table shown below:

Category Central Pressure Maximum Winds Storm Surge
Tropical Depression 38 mph / 34 kts or less 4-5 ft.
Tropical Storm > 980 mb or 28.94 in 39-73 mph or 34-63 kts 4-5 ft.
1 – Minimal < 980 mb or 28.94 in 74-95 mph or 64-83 kts 4-5 ft.
2 – Moderate 965-979 mb or 28.50-28.91 in 96-110 mph or 65-96 kts 6-8 ft.
3 – Extensive 945-964 mb or 27.91-28.47 in 111-130 mph or 97-113 kts 9-12ft.
4 – Extreme 920-944 mb or 27.17-27.88 in 131-155 mph or 114-135 kts 13-18 ft.
>5 – Catastrophic < 920 mb or 27.17 in > 155 mph or 135 kts > 18 ft.

* – The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is based on Windspeed alone, the pressures are only included as a general reference and may not always apply