Getting Prepared For Hurricane Season

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

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?

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