Hurricane: Being Prepared

How to be part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.

A recent study showed 39 percent say they wouldn’t evacuate if a hurricane were headed our way. That is a very bad decision. Anyone who has spent two weeks in the Texas Coastal area without power or water will tell you it is far more pleasant to follow instructions from your government leaders and evacuate if told to do so.

Your life is more important than your property and there is little of nothing you can do in the face of a Cat 4 or 5 storms. Smart money is on getting out.

Here are some tips from the national hurricane center.

• Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family.
• Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
• Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard.
• In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
• Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet.
• These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.
• Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.
• Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
• Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.
• Check your insurance coverage - flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.
• Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.
• Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.
• Take First Aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

• Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days
• Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days
  • non-perishable packaged or canned food
  • juices
  • foods for infants or the elderly
  • snack foods
  • non-electric can opener
  • cooking tools
  • fuel
  • paper plates
  • plastic utensils
• Linens: Blankets / Pillows, etc.
• Clothing - seasonal
  • rain gear
  • sturdy shoes
• First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs
• Special Items - for babies and the elderly
• Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes
• Flashlight / Batteries
• Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio
• Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set
• Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards - Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods
• Keys
• Toys, Books and Games
• Important documents - in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag — insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.
• Tools - keep a set with you during the storm
• Vehicle fuel tanks filled
• Pet care items
  • proper identification
  • immunization records
  • medications
  • ample supply of food and water
  • a carrier or cage
  • muzzle and leash

Develop a family hurricane preparedness plan before an actual storm threatens your area. If your family hurricane preparedness plan includes evacuation to a safer location for any of the reasons specified with in this web site, then it is important to consider the following points:

• If ordered to evacuate, do not wait or delay your departure.
  If possible, leave before local officials issue an evacuation order for your area. Even a slight delay in starting your evacuation will result in significantly longer travel times as traffic congestion worsens.
• Select an evacuation destination that is nearest to your home, preferably in the same county, or at least minimize the distance over which you must travel in order to reach your intended shelter location.
  In choosing your destination, keep in mind that the hotels and other sheltering options in most inland metropolitan areas are likely to be filled very quickly in a large, multi-county hurricane evacuation event.
• If you decide to evacuate to another county or region, be prepared to wait in traffic.
  The large number of people in this state who must evacuate during a hurricane will probably cause massive delays and major congestion along most designated evacuation routes; the larger the storm, the greater the probability of traffic jams and extended travel times.
  If possible, make arrangements to stay with the friend or relative who resides closest to your home and who will not have to evacuate.Discuss with your intended host the details of your family evacuation plan well before the beginning of the hurricane season.
• If a hotel or motel is your final intended destination during an evacuation, make reservations before you leave.
  Most hotel and motels will fill quickly once evacuations begin. The longer you wait to make reservations, even if an official evacuation order has not been issued for your area or county, the less likely you are to find hotel/motel room vacancies, especially along interstate highways and in major metropolitan areas.
• If you are unable to stay with friends or family and no hotels/motels rooms are available, then as a last resort go to a shelter.
  Remember, shelters are not designed for comfort and do not usually accept pets. Bring your disaster supply kit with you to the shelter. Find Pet-Friendly hotels and motels.
• Make sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.

During The Disaster

• Animals brought to a pet shelter are required to have:
  • Proper identification collar and rabies tag
  • Proper identification on all belongings
  • A carrier or cage
  • A leash
  • An ample supply of food,water and food bowls
  • Any necessary medications
  • specific care instructions
  • Newspapers or trash bags for clean-up
• Bring pets indoor well in advance of a storm - reassure them and remain calm.
• Pet shelters will be filled on first come, first served basis. Call ahead and determine availability.

After The Disaster

• Walk pets on a leash until they become re-oriented to their home - often familiar scents and landmarks may be altered and pets could easily be confused and become lost. Also, downed power lines, reptiles brought in with high water and debris can all pose a threat for animals after a disaster.
• If pets cannot be found after a disaster, contact the local animal control office to find out where lost animals can be recovered. Bring along a picture of your pet if possible.
• After a disaster animals can become aggressive or defensive - monitor their behavior.

Let’s hope we don’t have another Katrina, but let’s also all be prepared well in advance to keep our loved ones safe and out of harm’s way. For more information you may review the National Hurricane Center by clicking here.

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Beaches are the first line of defense against hurricanes 

It's hurricane season, so it's highly possible that America's coastal residents may soon be experiencing the howling winds and crashing waves associated with one of Mother Nature's most dangerous weather events. National coastal experts want coastal residents to understand the vital role their beach plays in protecting them from the negative impacts of a hurricane.

"The beach is your first line of defense against a hurricane," says Tim Kana, Ph.D., president of Coastal Science & Engineering in Columbia, S.C. "The key to this protection is a wide, sandy beach and established vegetated dunes that work together to absorb much of the energy of waves."

Kana points out that sand and dunes can not prevent storm surge, but that a wide beach helps to dissipate the waves and allows less energy to reach structures and infrastructure on upland properties behind the beach.

As evidence of the effectiveness of a wide beach and high dunes, he points to Hurricane Hugo, which hit the coast of South Carolina in 1989. "After the storm, it was clear that the areas that suffered the worst storm damage were those where the dunes were low and the beach was critically eroded before the storm," Kana said.

The 1987 New Year's Day nor'easter in the Carolinas similarly proved the value of a healthy beach. Three adjacent beach communities all lost an average of about 40 feet in the storm. Among those communities, property damages in Garden City totaled $5 million; the damages in North Myrtle Beach were $2.5 million; but the damages along Myrtle Beach totaled only $400,000. "The main difference among these three towns was that Myrtle Beach had just completed a nourishment project, and their shore was 50 feet wider than the other beaches," Kana said.

Kana explains that the beach is the linchpin for storm protection and uses the analogy of a house to paint a clear picture of the importance of a wide, healthy beach during a hurricane. "The profile of the beach - including the sandy part (where you put your beach towel) and the area where you wade into the surf - is like the basement of a house," Kana said. "Without the basement as a foundation, the whole house would come crumbling down."

Just how wide must a beach be to provide adequate storm protection? There is no magic number, but Kana says hurricanes such as Hugo can cause the beach to erode 80-100 feet before it has a chance to recover naturally after the storm. The average beach restoration project these days widens a beach by about 100 feet. Some communities liken beach nourishment to insurance. "It's better to have a wide beach going into the storm season so it absorbs the wave damage instead of those waves damaging the valuable properties behind it," Kana says.

For more information about the storm protection benefits of your beach, visit www.asbpa.org.

ABOUT ASBPA
Founded in 1926, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) represents the scientific, technical and political interests along the coast in an effort to shape national research and policy concerning shore and beach management and restoration. ASBPA strives to engage in a factual debate on coastal issues and economics that will foster sound, far-sighted and economical development and preservation of our beaches; thereby aiding in placing their beliefs within the reach of the largest possible number of people in accordance with the ideals of a democratic nation.