The 2022 Hurricane Season Is Just Gearing Up – How to Prepare
Hurricanes – Best Protection . . . “Be Prepared”
With two months remaining of Hurricane Season, experts warn now is not the time to grow complacent. September marks the beginning of Disaster Preparedness month and serves as a reminder of the importance of preparing for natural disasters before they happen. The 2022 Hurricane Season has been relatively quiet, buying much-needed time for those who have not yet prepared their family, home, and business for a damaging storm.
Hurricane Hazards
The National Hurricane Center in Miami notes that hurricanes are the greatest threat to life and property. “Tropical storms can be devastating. The primary hazards are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, high surf, and rip currents.” Storm surges are the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the U.S.
For 2022, NOAA predicted 14 to 21 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including 3 to 6 hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher. This year’s season still has eight weeks of favorable hurricane conditions, and September is considered a peak month for hurricane activity.
“Flooding from heavy rains is the second leading cause of death from tropical cyclones. Flooding can persist for days after a storm and tornadoes can accompany tropical cyclones,” the Center notes. Even if a tropical storm is many miles offshore, giant waves can overcome homes, wreck buildings and sink vessels, causing loss of life and enormous property damage.
Get into survival mode
KARE-TV in Orlando, Florida, emphasizes the crucial need to prepare early to survive a hurricane or tornado. Its report advises:
“You should have a hurricane kit in your home in the event a hurricane hits…You should be ready as soon as possible.
“If you need a kit for two people, the Quake Kare ER™ Emergency Ready 2 Person Tornado and Hurricane Survival Kit offers three days’ worth of survival items if you need to evacuate quickly or shelter-in-place,” KARE-TV advises. Thanks for the shout out KARE-TV!
Sarasota County encourages businesses, families, and individuals to plan well ahead and to ensure an emergency survival kit fits your family’s needs. You also should have enough supplies to sustain each person, including pets, for up to ten days. Non-perishable food and water, prescription medicines, emergency power sources, safety, and personal items should make their way into your survival bag or bucket.
Don’t Forget: secure important medical and insurance documents, wills, passports, and ID’s, and know local evacuation routes to safety and emergency shelter locations.