Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton

by | Oct 9, 2024 | Hurricane News, Blog, Hurricane Preparation

Hurricane Milton which is likely to hit Florida tonight, Oct 9, 2024, and is shaping up to be the worst hurricane in at least 100 years.  Milton is a category 5 hurricane, which is the highest category hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Wind speeds have already hit a sustained speed of 160 mph according to advisories from the National Hurricane Center.

Millions of people have been told to evacuate from the impacted regions. Milton is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area and experts are warning that waves could surge to 15 feet. There are nearly 6 million people in Florida across 11 counties in coastal and low-lying areas that are under MANDATORY or voluntary evacuation orders. An important point, expounded by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, is that debris left over from Hurricane Helene two weeks ago could be picked up by Milton and used as a ‘weapon’. Even cars can be lifted by such powerful winds!

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Live Video Feed of Hurricane Miltion

Hurricane Preparation: In the case of Milton, affected residents are being urged to LEAVE the expected affected areas.  Refer also to our previous post “8 Important Things To Do To Prepare for a Hurricane” and our post “Prepare for Hurricane Helene” which offers some tips that you may not have heard before.

Again, Milton may turn out to be the storm of a century. Previous powerful and destructive hurricanes include:

  1. Hurricane Katrina (2005): Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane at its peak but made landfall as a Category 3. It caused catastrophic flooding in New Orleans and is one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Milton’s wind speeds are comparable to Katrina’s peak intensity.

  2. Hurricane Andrew (1992): Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane that caused massive destruction in South Florida. Like Milton, Andrew had sustained winds of around 150 mph, leading to extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.

  3. Hurricane Irma (2017): Irma was a long-lived Category 5 hurricane that caused widespread damage across the Caribbean and Florida. Milton’s potential for storm surge and wind damage is similar to Irma’s impact on the Florida Keys and mainland.

  4. Hurricane Michael (2018): Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 hurricane, causing severe wind and storm surge damage. Milton’s expected impact on Florida’s Gulf Coast could be similar in terms of intensity and destruction.

  5. Hurricane Dorian (2019): Dorian was a Category 5 hurricane that devastated the Bahamas with sustained winds of 185 mph. While Milton’s winds are slightly lower, the potential for catastrophic damage remains high.

All hurricanes have unique characteristics but Category 5 hurricanes like Milton are known for their extreme wind speeds, storm surges and potential for widespread devastation. It is CRUCIAL for residents in the path of this storm to heed evacuation orders and take all the necessary precautions. Do not wait until it is too late.

Prepare for Hurricane Helene

Prepare for Hurricane Helene

by | Sep 27, 2024 | Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane News

Hurricane Helene is approaching the Big Bend region of Florida and was expected to make landfall around midnight last night. As a Category 3 storm, Helene is anticipated to have a significant impact. Here are some key points to consider:

The leading right quadrant of a hurricane is the most dangerous. If you are in this area, be prepared for high winds and storm surges, which could exceed 20 feet. Storm surges often cause the most damage due to severe flooding and the destruction of buildings. 

Helene is following an unusual path, which is expected to amplify its impact. After making landfall, it will move through Georgia and into the Appalachian region, where it will linger, causing additional rain and flooding in these areas.

Tips to Prepare for Hurricane Helene

1. Seal important documents in a zip-lock bag. You may want to include such things as your home owner’s insurance, passport, will, cash, deeds, etc.

2. Put valuables in your dishwasher and lock it to keep things safe in the event of flooding. Ideally put in waterproof containers first. 

2. Secure your photos and albums in double plastic bags and use duct tape to seal.

3. Put some clothes in plastic sturdy garbage bags or totes.

4. Fill zip-lock bags 3/4 full with water and put them in the freezer to full up the space. This will help the freezer stay cold.

5. Large trash bags can be used for ponchos.

6. Turn a can of cooking oil into a candle if necessary. Just place a string or piece of cotton into the middle of the can and light it. Lard can also be used.

7. Put a cup of water in your freezer. When it’s frozen solid, put a coin on top of it e.g. a quarter. When power is restores, if the quarter has fallen to the bottom of the cup, that means all the food defrosted and you should throw it out. If the quarter is either on the top or even if it is in the middle of the cup, your food may be okay. When in doubt, throw it out! Safety is the primary concern.

8. Your washing machine can be used as a cooler.  Just fill it with a lot of ice and put whatever you need chilled into the washing machine. The washing machine is designed to drain water. So when the ice melts it will drain.

Some Hurricane Tips You May Not Have Heard Before

1. When your power comes back on, flip your porch light on. This allows linemen to know that your power has been restored without having to stop and check each and every meter. It will save them time.

2. Rinse out an empty milk jug. Flip a flashlight so the light is going up and put the milk jug over it to spread the light out. You can also do the same thing using your phone flashlight. Just put the phone under the milk jug to diffuse the light.

 

Milk Jug

3, Write your pet’s name and phone number with a permanent marker on their belly. In the unfortunate event that you get separated or get lost during the storm, this could be important to reunite you. Collars can fall off and chips can’t be searched without the internet.

Here Comes Sally!

Here Comes Sally!

by | Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane News, Hurricane Preparation

Hurricane Sally comes not long after Hurricane Laura which hit the coast back in late August. We wrote about that in a previous post where we offered some hurricane protection tips which you can find here. Laura started out as a category 4 with winds reaching speeds of 150 mph and was blamed for 32 deaths in two states. Most of these deaths occurred in Louisiana. Hurricane Sally is expected to bring winds of at least 100 mph and the potential of up to 23 inches of rain which would also imply the possibility of severe flooding.

As of late Monday afternoon, Sally was moving slowly at about 6 mph, roughly 140 miles southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi. Sally is expected be bring a long, slow drenching near the Mississippi-Alabama border. New Orleans, though, is an area of particular concern as the NHC is forecasting storm surges of 11 feet.

As mentioned, Sally has some ‘support’ in the way of other hurricanes active in the Atlantic. The last time there were this many was in 1971. Hurricane Paulette, listed as a strong category 1 hurricane, is pounding Bermuda today, Monday, September 14, but is expected to move out into the North Atlantic. The other cyclones include Rene, Teddy and Vicky but all of these are safely out at sea.

The extremely busy hurricane season along with the catastrophic fires on the West Coast (and in Australia) has caused increased attention on the role of climate change in these catastrophes. Scientists believe global warming is making hurricanes stronger. And warm air holds more moisture, so storms rain down more rain. More warming also means higher seas which makes storm surges higher causing greater and further spread damage.

Hurricane preparation is further hampered by concerns with CoVid-19. In general, people in shelters will be required to wear masks and other protective equipment. Those in affected areas should continue to pay close attention to weather advisories such as those issued by the National Hurricane Center. We have the NHC weather widget here on the Plyfastner website (you can see it on our blog posts on the right hand side of the page). As well many good weather apps are available for both Android and iPhones.

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