How to protect yourself from Hurricane Floods
September 21, 2011
The U.S. coastline is witness to an average of six hurricanes in a period of three years. The wind speeds that are as strong as 100 miles per hour and the intense flooding with waters rising to a height of more than 20 feet can cause colossal problems. The hurricane season that runs from June to November bring along with the inherent possibility of floods.
Here is how you can minimize the possibility of floods causing destruction to your home or business
1. Understand that every hurricane is not the same and do not take any chances. Make a list of the outdoor things that you need to bring inside, like the yard tools or the furniture sitting outside.
2. Trim the trees and cut off the branches that may give away.
3. Clean the gutters and drainage to prevent water clogging after heavy rains that accompany hurricanes.
4. It is important to install hurricane shutters on the doors and windows. This is a safe and better alternative compared to sticking tape to the glass, which cannot guarantee that the windows will not break. You can protect the external part of the windows with plywood or shutters.
5. Pile up disaster supplies like a battery-operated radio flashlights and extra batteries,, a first aid kit, a handheld can opener emergency food and water in case, you have to remain confined to one place.
6. Make an evacuation plan, check with the local management office or Red Cross for information on which can be the safest evacuation route or location.
7. You cannot neglect your pets, hence it is better to find out which is the best way to protect them. If possible, send them over to another place in advance.
8. It is a good practice to store potable water in jugs, bottles, cooking utensils and clean bathtubs.
9. If you want food to remain in the fridge for a long period of time, turn the refrigerator setting to the coldest. The air inside will remain cool for a longer period of time, even after the electricity goes off.
10. If you are in a place that is at risk of hurricanes, it is better to consider having your home in an elevated place. It is better to spend a little more money and make your home hurricane proof.
11. If you are already staying in a hurricane zone and there is a threat, it is better to move things including the furniture to a higher ground so as to prevent damage from the floods.
12. Invest in flood insurance, because the homeowner policy usually does not offer cover for floods caused by hurricanes.
13. Make a plan with your family members to move to another place, possibly that of a relative or friend who lives in a safer place, outside of the town or state. Converse with that person on a regular basis during the floods, if possible, so that they can guide you to come to their place through a shortcut.
Tropical Storm Lee Causing Misery in Pennsylvania and New York
September 8, 2011
**UPDATE – Jarvis Crews Working In Binghamton New York For Flood Cleanup as well as Eastern Pennsylvania, including Allentown, Reading and Harrisburg Regions**
What is left of tropical storm Lee is still flooding many parts of Pennsylvania and New York, causing widespread misery. Emergency responders have been working around the clock since last weekend, cleaning up after the slow moving system that is full of rain. Many residents in Pennsylvania and New York are becoming very familiar with bailing water from their basements and heading to public shelters.
The National Weather Service is telling people living in the East that Lee will continue to dump heavy amounts of rain until at least Friday with four to seven inches predicted for many areas and up to ten inches for some isolated areas. Flood watches and warnings are in effect throughout the region. Officials in Pennsylvania have ordered 100,000 people to evacuate in the northeastern portion of the state who live along the banks of the Susquehanna River, a region which was devastated in the historic Agnes floods of 1972.
In New York State, a flood warning was issued early Thursday for several counties. New York governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that the state’s full response capacity has been set into action in Broome County where heavy rainfall amounts have caused widespread flooding there. Cuomo has also deployed several dozen National Guard troops to the area to help rescue stranded residents. New York state police are using boats to conduct water rescues in Binghampton, NY.
Weather experts are concerned about the heavy rains on already soaked ground as dams in Pennsylvania are approaching their capacities. A flash flood warning was issued today due to a dam failure at the Elk Lake Dam in Susquehanna County. Those living in low lying areas below the dam are being told to leave their homes due to fears that the dam will breach.
Three people have lost their lives in Pennsylvania due to the storm.
Adding to the misery, Hurricane Katia is funneling dangerous swells onto the east coast along with moist tropical air which helps to fuel the rain forecasts for the next few days. In addition to the rain falling today and tomorrow, forecasters say that there is a chance that high winds and isolated tornadoes could occur in many regions of the northeast. The 2011 hurricane season is certainly shaping up to be a busy one as three named storms have already caused massive flooding in the US from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up the eastern seaboard.
Tropical Storm Lee Intensifying as it Eyes New Orleans
September 3, 2011
Fresh off the heels of Hurricane Irene which ripped up the eastern seaboard last weekend, tropical storm Lee is zeroing in on the New Orleans area and it promises to dump a whole lot of rain. The storm system is moving slowly in a north-northwesterly direction and it’s expected to cross the Louisiana coast today and then move very slowly across the southern portion of the state on Sunday.
Lee is expected to dump ten to fifteen inches of rain over southern Louisiana with possible maximum amounts in some isolated areas of twenty inches. These heavy rainfall amounts are expected to cause widespread and destructive flooding throughout the southern portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama this weekend. Storm surges of up to five feet may occur on the coastline.
While residents in New Orleans are certainly no stranger to larger storms than Lee, they are nonetheless bracing for the rain and heavy flooding. The rain thus far has shown no mercy as it has been pouring down non-stop since early Friday along with whipping winds of up to 40 miles per hour. Residents living in and around New Orleans are filling sandbags, clearing storm drains and preparing for the worst. It is very likely that the city will get up to twenty inches of rain which will put it at risk for very serious flooding. When a storm surge hits New Orleans, it has to be pumped out because the city is situated on a bowl-like area of land. It was six years ago almost to the day when Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on “The Big Easy” and that’s a weather experience no one here wishes to relive.
Nerves are still raw from Katrina as FEMA and other government agencies were slow in stepping in to help the massive number of affected flood victims. New Orleans residents didn’t pay too much attention to Lee as it formed in the Gulf earlier this week but now all eyes are on local and national weather reports. Locals have been busy stocking up on supplies and moving vehicles and other possessions to higher ground. Now it’s only a matter of hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
States of Emergency have been declared in both Louisiana and Mississippi as well as in the city of New Orleans by mayor Mitch Landrieu. While the southern portion of Louisiana does need some rain, it certainly does not need twenty inches in a couple of days. The slow moving storm system has been pelting the city with rain since Friday and it promises to make the Labor Day weekend anything but a pleasant one for those living in southern Louisiana.
