UPDATED: 2:10 pm EST, January 26, 2006
ADD ANOTHER HURRICANE TO THE PILE- CINDY
The NHC has finished its report on what is now being called hurricane Cindy. This makes a total of 15 hurricanes that formed last year- an incredible record for the Atlantic Basin. Cindy served as a warning of things to come for Louisiana and Mississippi. The NHC notes that there was minor damage from Cindy in the New Orleans area. The hurricane also produced a minor storm surge over a fairly large area- something we know would happen on an epic scale when Katrina made landfall in almost the same place. Check out the report from the NHC by clicking the link below.
Hurricane Cindy report from the NHC
Commentary archive for 2006
http://www.hurricanetrack.com/
If you click on the link that I've highlighted in green above, this is what pops up:
UPDATED: 4:45 pm EST, January 25, 2006
BIG SEASON COMING UP- NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE
The 2006 hurricane season will be one of the most hyped and watched in our history. After the record-setting and overwhelming 2005 season, a great deal of attention will be placed on what happens in 2006. Before things get started in June, I thought I would offer up some advice based on what I have experienced in the past.
First and foremost, learn as much as you can about your specific vulnerability to the effects of hurricanes. The most important thing you need to know is: will your property flood from storm surge in any hurricane? You can find this out by contacting your local emergency management office or local planning office. Be persistent and find out now. I am sure there are plenty of people in Mississippi and Louisiana who did not know their home would flood in a category three hurricane landfall. We know what happened there.
If your insurance company does not offer wind coverage as a part of your regular policy, consider adding it. Falling trees caused by strong winds will not be covered unless you add the special wind storm coverage. Each insurer is different, do your homework and get it done now. Keeping ahead of a hurricane financially can really help when the worst happens.
Go ahead and take an inventory of your home or business now. Digital cameras are dirt cheap or you can certainly borrow one. Take photos of your possessions and store those photos on a CD in a safety deposit box or the like. Trust me, you do not want to face this obstacle when a category four hurricane is 24 hours from your doorstep.
Think about what it will take for you to rely only on yourself or your family for 3 to 5 days after a major disaster- such as a hurricane. You are going to need extra fuel for your automobiles- go ahead and purchase the proper containers now. I suggest having two five gallon containers for extra gas. Once the time comes, you can fill them up and properly store them. You do not want to run out of gas while trying to evacuate. I saw so many abandoned cars, trucks and SUVs last season (mainly during Rita) and wondered about what the stress must have been like for those people. This is an easily avoidable situation- get ready now- gas cans are readily available; why not pick up two this weekend? You'll never have to worry about that again.
In short, it is really all about common sense. If you think about what it will take to survive something like Katrina or Rita and then formulate a plan to deal with that scenario as best you can, then you're ahead of the curve. Stay tuned to this site as we approach May and June for a complete run down of our Lowe's hurricane readiness fairs and other educational projects coming up. We have a real chance to show we learned from the mistakes of 2005 and to expand upon the success. Fortunately, it is only late January, there is still plenty of time- for now.