Hurricane season began on June 1 and will continue through November 30. This is the time where, when swirling winds meet warm waters, the potential to form a hurricane is high. It is an interesting season. I have been through quite a few in all the years I have lived in Florida. In all those years, I have evacuated for three. Make no mistake, hurricanes are no joke and anyone who lives in the path of an oncoming hurricane needs to take them seriously. The good thing about hurricanes over a tornado is you get plenty of warnings that one is potentially heading your way.
I use the word potentially deliberately because hurricanes are also very erratic about where they actually end up landing. They can swerve at the last minute, and your area is spared all the devastation a hurricane brings with it. Or they can swerve at the last minute and now you are right in the path of the hurricane and all the devastation they bring.
When you live in a hurricane prone area, if you are wise, you are also prepared. You keep supplies on hand, so you are not scrambling to purchase any when the weather channel announces there is a hurricane in your future. Canned goods, candles, flashlights and batteries, tarps, gas for your generator if you have one, and all the other necessities you may need to ride one out. Oh…and lots of water. It is a good idea to clean your bathtubs really well and then fill them full of water.
The hard part is having to board up your windows. Your home becomes a total cave. Of course, boarding windows is no fun. Which is why two years ago my husband, and I decided to get hurricane windows installed on our home. That still doesn’t mean something can’t go through one. It just means they will shatter intact. If that makes sense. It is also a good idea to have things to do. Books to read, board games on hand, if you like to knit or crochet those are good options or anything else that doesn’t require electricity. Because remember, when the electricity goes out…and it will probably go out…you can’t do anything that uses electricity. So, stop and think for a minute about all the things you do that require access to electricity. The longest we were without electricity and water was a full week. Not a fun week.
Which is where the generator comes in…so you can keep your refrigerator and freezer running. A/C units usually pull too much KW’s. So, unless you have a really big generator or a Generac hooked directly to your house…you will be hot. Miserably hot since your windows are all boarded up. No natural breeze to help cool you down.
If it sounds awful…it is. And now we are facing significant cuts to NOAA. NOAA is the weather service that alerts us to impending bad weather and was established under Republican president Richard Nixon. This service is especially important for hurricanes. This information is also pretty handy for farmers, predicting severe snowstorms, flooding potential from heavy thunderstorms and so for many other reasons it is good to know what the weather might be like on any given day. But, because of extreme budget cuts, NOAA will not be able to function at full capacity in many areas that are prone to hurricanes. This will put people living in these areas, like the Gulf of Mexico, or the Atlantic coast of Florida, in danger.
Where I live, the most active months for hurricane activity has been August and September. But with many of the climate changes we are seeing that season is stretching into November which rarely saw any hurricane activity…at least not since I have lived in Florida. Which in a few short years is closing in on fifty. So, I have seen a lot of hurricanes.
And if a hurricane isn’t bad enough…recovery from a hurricane is extensive, awful, and devastating. So, please don’t get me started on what the cuts are doing to FEMA. The thing is, there are repercussions to every choice being made right now. The deep cuts to NOAA and FEMA will be life altering. Every budget needs to be tweaked so it is running efficiently. I am not against that…but what we are experiencing is a gutting of entire programs and departments we need to function in a disaster. Both before and after.
So, I am praying for a very quiet hurricane season. I am praying that most systems don’t even develop into a hurricane but remain at Tropical Storm status. I am praying that we have lots of blue skies with enough summer rain to keep everything green and beautiful.
Peace,
Beth
Beth's Blog 