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
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
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:
What all of this really means is – Continue reading
This eMail interview was turned in during October 2008, right after receiving our 1st report on the sale of Hurricane.
Image: AppCraver.com eMail Interview
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
