Hurricanes

Being prepared for a Hurricane could save your life!

Call a family meeting. Discuss what to do about power outages. How to deal with personal injuries. How to turn off the water, gas and electricity at main switches. What to do if you have to evacuate.
***Very Important***Where to meet and whom to contact if you get separated.
Post emergency telephone numbers by the telephones.
Teach children how and when to call 911 for help.
Take a Red Cross first aid and CPR class.
Make arrangements for your pets.

Your family is the most important thing to you. Make sure everyone knows what to do in an emergency situation.

Wide spread power outages are very common during and after a hurricane. Plan on having 3 days of non perishable food supplies ready.

Pick foods with high nutrition that require no refrigeration, little to no water, and no cooking. Foods you might consider are Canned juices, canned milk, soup, canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables. High energy foods, like peanut butter, jelly, crackers and granola bars. Vitamins. Food for people in the family on special diets, baby food for infants, comfort and stress foods like cookies and hard candy. Instant coffee or tea. While a 3 day supply is strongly suggested, a two week supply is recommended. To protect boxed food, place them in closed cans or other metal containers.

Remember to rotate your non perishables on a regular basis. Don't let them go bad. Also, keep a supply of utensils like plastic forks, spoons and knives, paper cups and plates. You may be without running water for a few days. Keep a manual can opener and bottle opener. Keep a non electrical heating source, such as a Barbeque, camp stove or other source. Have extra fuel on hand for these devices.

Protect your home!

If you don't have storm shutters, board up your windows. The old myth about taping windows will not prevent them from breaking, but will reduce shattering.

Clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils. Fill containers with drinking water, at least 3 gallons per person.

Check batteries in flashlights and radios. Stock up on batteries.

Keep trees trimmed. Thicker trees will catch the wind and could fall. Remove any limbs that could do damage to your house or electric lines.

Store anything that could blow away including garbage cans, grills, plants, garden tools, toys, porch furniture and awnings.

Do not lower the water level in swimming pools. This could cause them to pop out of the ground. Add extra chlorine to pools to prevent contamination. Recommended 3 gallons of chlorine per 5,000 gallons of water.

Fill up your gas tank in your car!!!!

Before the storm:
Make sure your pets are up to date on their vaccinations. Most pet shelters require proof.
Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with the proper identification.
If you don't already have one, buy a carrier for your pet. Make sure they have enough room to stand and turn around in it.
When planning your evacuation, don't forget your pet. Check out shelters that will accept pets, find local kennels that will be open in emergency situations, or make arrangements with friends and family.
Keep a recent picture of your pet.

When you know a storm is going to hit:
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 and news papers or trash bags for clean-up.

Pet shelters will be filled on first come, first served basis. Call ahead and determine availability.
If not evacuating, bring pets indoor well in advance of a storm - reassure them and remain calm.

After the storm has passed:
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.

Pay close attention to your local news and weather stations. When a storm is on it's way, they will monitor it until there is no longer a threat. Storms can change track without warning, so listen/watch often. Local officials may recommend or order an evacuation. They will provide instructions on what you should do. It takes time to evacuate heavily populated areas so they may be recommended way in advance of the storm making landfall.

Who should always evacuate early?
Tropical storms and hurricanes can produce high seas and tides that will affect low lying areas, flood prone areas and barrier islands well before it makes landfall. People in these areas should plan on leaving earlier then most.
People living in mobile homes or structures near the coastal waters that may not be safe should evacuate anytime there is a threat.
If you have young children, elderly family members or people with special needs should leave before an evacuation is ordered. Traffic will be heavier once the evacuation is ordered and the weather could be worse making it take longer to get where you need to go.

What to take with you when you evacuate:
Always take identification for every family member. A driver's license or identification card with a photo are recommended.
Take your medications with you. You don't know how long you will have to be away.
Flashlights with extra batteries.
Battery operated portable radio
Water
Non perishable foods
Extra clothing and shoes
Soap, Shampoo and other toiletries.
Important papers
Contact numbers of family members, friends, doctors and insurance agents.
Money, checks, traveler's checks or credit cards. Remember - the power could go out, at which time atm and credit cards may not be accepted.
An inventory of all your personal belongings along with photos or videos of personal items.
If going to a shelter, also bring sleeping bags, pads or air mattresses, blankets for each member of the family, books, cards, games and toys (quiet ones) for the kids.

Know your evacuation route and know where you are planning on going.

2005 was a very intense hurricane season in the Atlantic. Hurricane Wilma is one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded. Wilma was the 22nd storm of the season, the 13th hurricane, and the 4th Category 5 hurricane in 2005. With an estimated $29.1 billion cost, Hurricane Wilma was ranked in the top 5 costliest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and 4th in the US.

Hurricane Wilma made numerous landfalls including the Caribbean, Mexico, Cuba, United States and the Bahamas. Wilma developed very slowly before it was a named storm. It was named Tropical Storm Wilma on October 17, 2005. During the 18th and 19th of October, development exploded while the storm was over open water in the Caribbean. In only a 30 hour period, the pressure dropped from 962 mb to a record low of 882 mb and the winds increased from Tropical Storm force to 185 mph, making it a Category 5 Hurricane. It then went through an "eyewall replacement cycle" which diminished the winds a bit, but it still remained a powerful Category 4 Hurricane. On October 21, 2005, Wilma made landfall in Cozumel and then the Mexican mainland with winds approximated at 150 mph.

While over the Mexican mainland, Wilma weakened to a moderate hurricane and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Just before making landfall on Cape Romano, Florida, Wilma intensified to 125 mph winds, a Category 3. It crossed the state in about 4 1/2 hours, re-entering the Atlantic waters near Jupiter, Florida.

The devastation:

Mudslides, triggered by the outer bands of Wilma killed at least 12 people in Haiti, with damages totaling $500,000.00 US dollars.

One life was taken in Jamaica while the storm was still a tropical depression on October 16, 2005. It drenched the island for 3 days causing flooding in many low lying communities and triggered mudslides that damage several homes and blocked roads. Over 200 people were in shelters throughout the island. Total damages in Jamaica were $93.5 million US dollars.

In Mexico, 8 deaths were reported. 5 more deaths were reported in Cozumel and Cancun caused by wind blowing a window out. A falling tree claimed the death of one individual in Yucatan. Cancun experienced very extensive structural damage and flooding. Power lines and trees were down and scattered debris was everywhere. Some areas reported 64 inches of rainfall.

In Cuba, over 250 homes were flooded and major wind damage occurred. 4 people were killed when a bus carrying evacuees crashed. Total damage amounted to around $700 million dollars.

The US reported 5 deaths directly related to Hurricane Wilma and 26 indirectly related. Flooding and high winds cause extensive damage over all of South Florida. A storm surge of 8 feet after Wilma had passed through inundated most of the lower Keys. There was major damage to power, water and sewer systems throughout South Florida. Florida Power and Light reported over 3 million customers without power. Most residents' power was restored in 8 to 15 days after the storm. Running water was restored in 2 days for most. Several tornadoes touched down in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Total damage in Florida totaled $20.6 billion dollars. As of 2008, some people were still waiting on insurance settlements and repairs to their homes in Broward County.

Several hundreds of buildings were destroyed when Hurricane Wilma passed over the Bahamas. Graves were washed up with remains lying in the streets. The death of a child was reported from flooding on the island. Damage to the Bahamas was about $100 million dollars.

With death tolls over 2500 and over $75 billion dollars in damages and costs, Hurricane Katrina was the most devastating Hurricane to ever hit the United States since 1928.

On August 23, 2005, Tropical Depression 10 formed approximately 200 miles southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas. It became Tropical Storm Katrina the following day just southeast of Nassau. Katrina became a Hurricane just before it made landfall near the Broward county line on August 25, 2005. It move across southern Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. With the warm waters of the Gulf, Katrina intensified into a Category 5 Hurricane on August 28, 2005 with maximum sustained winds reaching 175 mph. When Katrina made landfall near the Louisiana and Mississippi border, it was a Category 3.

The devastation:

While only a Category 1 Hurricane when it passed over southern Florida, it still managed to cause flooding and some deaths. The storm surge caused some severe destruction along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to Texas./p

The majority of the damage was in New Orleans, Louisiana. When the levee system failed, 80% of the city became flooded. Over 1800 people lost their lives in New Orleans due to Katrina and the floods. Most of the major roads in and out of New Orleans were flooded. The Hyatt Regency had most of the windows blown out and was reported as the most damaged hotel in the city, with beds flying out of windows. One of the shelters, the Superdome, sustained extreme damage. Two sections of the roof were severely damaged. 3 nursing home patients died during the evacuation. The destruction of New Orleans alone was over $105 billion dollars in repairs and that doesn't account for the interruption in oil supply, the highway destruction and exports in commodities.

Over 1 million people were redistributed to other places within the US, including Houston Texas, obile Alabama, Hammond Louisiana and Chicago. By January 2006, 200,000 people were living in New Orleans, which is less then half of the original population.