In our neck of the woods, these brutes of nature are called tropical cyclones.
Having said that, tropical cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes – they are all interchangeable titles for what is the most destructive example of Mother Nature’s fury. Whichever applies, it acquires its label when average sustained winds exceed about 75mph and there is a grading scale of 1-5 (called the Saffir-Simpson scale for North America), with 5 being the strongest with winds exceeding about 155mph. Anything above a Category 3, with winds exceeding about 110mph is likely to cause structural damage to buildings. The Australian tropical cyclone scale kicks in at around 10mph lower on average for the various categories.
That doesn’t mean that you can be complacent if you are threatened with a Category 1 or 2, far from it. Hurricanes, and I’ll stay with the North American nomenclature here, are accompanied by huge amounts of rain and the intense low pressures, combined with the winds themselves, create storm surges that can do enormous damage to low lying coastal areas. Even a Category 1 hurricane will bring with it a storm surge of around 3-5 feet.
Most hurricane affected areas used to be fairly sparsely populated and the occasional one did little damage. Coastal mangroves and coastal islands and sandbars also provided some protection for both the natural and human environments and some scientists believe that hurricanes (or at least tropical storm activity) play an important role in flushing out estuaries, assisting with fishing nurseries, and clearing out old and damaged trees. Thankfully, many parts of northern Australia remain sparsely populated so that big storms, like Cyclone Vance in 1999, a Category 5 storm with the highest recorded wind gusts in Australia (166mph for anyone interested), resulted in no fatalities. This was despite a 12 foot storm surge that did a lot of structural damage to the towns of Exmouth on Onslow.
Transplant that kind of storm to a heavily populated area, like say Miami, and it would be frightening to imagine the death and destruction that would cause. Increasing urban sprawl, combined with rampant coast development and intensive agricultural activities have removed a lot of the natural coastal protections and this increases the risk of damage. Thankfully, hurricanes don’t just materialise like tornadoes can do, they build up over days or even weeks and our authorities can plot their likely tracks and warn people and communities accordingly.
One problem is that people tend to fall into a false sense of security and not prepare, merely react when the first hurricane warnings are broadcast. This is folly and it really does pay to be prepared. If you live in a hurricane area, there are a number of things that you can do before hurricane season starts. These include:
– checking that your house or buildings have been built to the appropriate standard. This will reduce the risk of structural damage. In doing so, you should also make sure that the walls, eaves and roof (particularly your ridge capping) are all properly maintained and secure;
– trim treetops and branches so that they are well clear of your home. Remove any damaged limbs. In Australia, you may need to get permission from your local council to do this (I don’t know if the same regulations apply in other countries);
– glass windows are usually the first casualties in a hurricane, so these should be appropriately shuttered. Types of shutters vary, but you need to make sure that these are in good working order and, if only fitted when a storm is imminent, that they are accessible and any tools needed to affix them are also handy;
– scour the outside of your home and your yard. Any loose material that could become a projectile should be well secured or removed;
– if you live in a low lying coastal area, you may be affected by storm surge. You need to make yourself familiar with the nearest hurricane shelter and high ground, and safe access to both, in the event of an evacuation;
– put together an emergency kit. This should contain a first aid kit, masking/duct tape for windows, waterproof bags, matches, a fuel lamp, portable stove, cooking gear and eating utensils, water containers, dried or canned food (as your power is going to go) and a can opener, and a portable radio and torch with lots of spare batteries; and
– keep a list of emergency numbers and talk to your neighbours, particularly anyone new, to make sure that everyone is prepared. Even in this day and age where everyone seems to be out for themselves, I think it is a nice idea to look out for your neighbours.
When a hurricane watch has been issued, re-do all of the above. Make sure that your petrol/gasoline tanks are all filled (as fuel stations are going to be out of action for a while after a hurricane) and fill all your water containers. Go through a hurricane drill – basically knowing where the strongest part of your home or building is and what to do in the event of a hurricane warning or an evacuation.
When a hurricane warning is issued, a hurricane is imminent. It will depend on your local authorities as to when this occurs, but generally you are likely to be affected by hurricane strength winds in the next 24-72 hours. The local authorities will provide some guidance, which may involve things like letting you know where evacuation centers are and collecting children from school. Beyond that, it is time to batten down the hatches and this includes:
– park your vehicle under solid shelter. Make sure that you put the hand brake on and put the vehicle into gear;
– again, scout around your home and yard. Secure anything loose (I can’t emphasise this enough). If you are one of those lucky sods with a pool, you can put garden furniture or any loose items into the pool – it’s about the safest place for them;
– it is time to secure those storm shutters. Make sure you heavily tape up all your windows as well. If you don’t have storm shutters, timber sheets or boards screwed into the window frames will do the job. Drawing your curtains is a good idea and may help protect against flying glass or other small debris in the event that your windows break (and this can happen even with them being shuttered). Make sure that all doors are securely fastened. If you do dead-lock them, leave the keys in the door (inside) as you don’t want to be scrabbling around for keys if the evacuation call goes out;
– pack an evacuation kit. This is not your food stash, it is more about things like warm clothing, essential medication, important papers and photos (put them all onto a disk before-hand if you can) and small valuables. These should be packed into waterproof bags. Larger mementoes and valuables that you can’t take with you should be securely packed, made as watertight as possible and locked inside a large, secure cupboard. If need be, screw the cupboard shut, the screw holes can be easily repaired after the event; and
– sit tight. Stay inside with your pets, please don’t leave them outside, and tune in to your local radio or TV station for updates or further instructions.
If you are given the directive to evacuate, shut off you power, gas and water and wear sound shoes (no open toed things) and tough clothing. Leave as early as possible to avoid traffic congestion and, if you are going to a public shelter, take along your own bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows) and books or games for the kids. A simple pack of cards is a brilliant time filler.
If the worst happens and a hurricane hits before you’ve evacuated (or you have decided to weather the storm at home – excuse the pun):
– stay calm. You have taken every precaution possible and now it is time to rely on those precautions to get you through. This is particularly important if you have children with you as this will help them not to become panicked or unduly frightened;
– disconnect all your electrical appliances. And I mean everything; this is not the time to leave even the fridge plugged in as power will go soon enough anyway. Keep your portable radio turned on and listen for updates;
– stay inside at all times and shelter in the strongest part of the building. This is generally an internal stairwell or hallway. Whatever you do, keep well away from windows and doors, and keep your evacuation and emergency kits with you;
– in the worst case and your building starts to break up, protect yourself as best you can with mattresses, blankets and stay under either a strong table or hold on to a solid fixture, like a water pipe; and
– stay where you are and wait for the all clear from the authorities. If you are directly in the path of a hurricane, the eye will pass over you. This is the center of the hurricane and the drop in wind is just a temporary lull, it will soon recommence as violently but from the other direction.
By following these precautions, you should survive the hurricane and have an impressive story to tell your grandchildren. Don’t be a hero though when the authorities do give the all clear. Once the storm has passed, there are likely to be downed powerlines and you need to be wary of damaged buildings, bridges and trees. Under no circumstances enter floodwaters and don’t go out sight-seeing. Emergency services personnel are going to be out and about. Check on your friends and neighbours first and then offer assistance. There is a good chance that roof damage is widespread and they will need all the help they can with laying tarpaulins. If you are returning after an evacuation, only leave when the all clear has been given. It’s better to suffer a few days of crowded discomfort than to get yourself stranded somewhere, stuck in flooding or electrocuted from fallen power lines.
