The Realities of Hurricanes

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The Realities of Hurricanes

• Robert D Macedo
• Director of Operations of the VoIP Hurricane Net
• ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton
• Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency
  Coordinator
• Web www.voipwx.net
• Email kd1cy_at_voipwx.net
• Slides provided and heavily leveraged from NWS
  Taunton Massachusetts Realities of New England
  Hurricanes Power Point Presentation. Special
  thanks to KB1GHX-Glenn Field, NWS Taunton Warning
  Coordination Meteorologist for providing this
  presentation.

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• Nature's Awesome Power!

Hurricane Isabel September 2003
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Objectives

• What makes an active hurricane season?
• What are the primary weather hazards we need to
  be prepared for?

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So what makes an active season?
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Critical component Sea Temps!
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Warm sea temps greater potential
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HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

• Before a storm threatens
• When a storm threatens
• Weather information sources
• Clues to an increasing threat
• Concluding thoughts

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HURRICANE PREPAREDNESSBEFORE A HURRICANE
THREATENS

• Have a storm preparedness plan (boat owners and
  home owners)
• Means to know if a storm threatens
• Know policies/procedures of where boat is moored
• Know options
• Haul boat out of water?
• Secure in place?
• Move to safer anchorage and secure?

• Do you need to evacuate home?
• Where would you go?
• How much time to get there?
• If going to a shelter, pet arrangements?
• Ready access to insurance policies for boat and
  home
• Know coverage limits and have pictures of boat
• Know how to reach claim agents

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PRE SEASON BOATER CHECKLIST

• Check key phone numbers (marina, insurance agent,
  etc.)
• Coordinated your storm preparedness plan with
  caretaker/marina
• Batteries fully charged
• Cleats checked
• Chafe gear stored/labeled
• Sufficient line
• Suitable anchors
• Bilge pumps, if applicable
• Hatches water tight
• Moorings
• Inspected
• Adequate for potential
• storm surge, wind and waves

Hurricane Bob (August 19, 1991)
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PREPAREDNESS FOR THE COASTAL HOMEOWNER

• Find out if you are in a potential evacuation
  zone or not
• If might have to evacuate, know where to go and
  how to get there
• Have shutters or plywood on hand, if may need to
  protect windows
• Know electrical, water, gas shut off valves

• Review working condition of emergency equipment
  including flashlights and battery powered
  radios
• Have cache of non-perishable food and water

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COASTAL HOME PREPAREDNESS
Board up windows if sustained wind speeds may
reach 60 mph or greater

• Use storm shutters or plywood
• Install correctly to avoid these items becoming
  missiles
• Do not tape windows

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WHEN CONSTRUCTING ON THE COAST
Hurricane clips
Hurricane straps
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IMPLICATIONS FOR SKYSCRAPERS
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WHEN A HURRICANE THREATENS

• Monitor weather developments
• Put your plan into action
• Allow time buffer remember major New England
  hurricanes accelerate and may arrive hours sooner
  than forecasted

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Boat may not be only item you need to move!

• When hurricane threatens, remember also to
• Secure potentially dangerous items such as
  propane tanks
• Collect/store loose objects such as lawn
  furniture, trash cans, etc.
• Board up windows and doors if exposed to high
  winds (5/8 thick plywood)

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OTHER PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS WHEN HURRICANE
THREATENS

• Check supply of batteries
• Never use candles
• Check supply of nonperishable food and water
• Fill-up with gas and money
• Gas pumps and ATMs rely on power
• Check medical prescriptions
• Make sure you dont need to evacuate
• Turn refrigerator to coldest setting
• Help your neighbors
• Including owners of boats surrounding yours
• One bad mooring can mean disaster for many

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AND HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS

• On land and sea
• For boat owners, one bad mooring can mean
  disaster for many

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NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INFORMATION
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National Hurricane Center Products

• The National Hurricane Center issues general
  tropical updates on a routine basis 4 times per
  day
• Tropical Weather Outlook (Issuance times changed
  to 2 AM, 8 AM, 2 PM and 8 PM EDT and is shifted
  to 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM and 7 PM when operating under
  standard time.)
• A separate update known as the Special Tropical
  Disturbance Statement may also be issued.
• This statement can be issued at any time to
  describe strong, formative weather systems that
  have not yet reached Tropical Depression status.

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National Hurricane Center Products

• A Standard Package of Products is issued by the
  National Hurricane Center when a Tropical Cyclone
  (Depression or higher forms) every 6 hours. Those
  products are
• Public Advisory
• Technical Discussion
• Forecast/Advisory
• Wind Speed Probabilities Product
• The Public Advisory are issued in 3 hour
  intervals when active tropical storm/hurricane
  watches or warnings are posted for an area.
• The public advisory is sometimes issued every 2
  hours when a powerful hurricane is within range
  of US radar.
• When Public Advisories are issued every 2 hours,
  on the hours where no advisory is issued, a
  position estimate on the center of the hurricane
  is given based on radar.
• A Tropical Cyclone Update is issued at any time
  in lieu of a special public advisory for changes
  in a systems intensity or changes in watches and
  warnings.

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National Hurricane Center Products

• As part of the Tropical Cyclone Advisory
  packages, Watches and Warnings Can be issued
• Hurricane Watch
• A hurricane exists and could strike the coastal
  area affected within 36 hours with hurricane
  force winds sustained at 74 MPH or greater.
• Hurricane Warning
• A hurricane exists and is expected to strike the
  coastal area affected within 24 hours with
  hurricane force winds sustained at 74 MPH or
  greater.
• Tropical Storm Watch
• Tropical Storm conditions (sustained winds 39 MPH
  or greater) could affect the coastal area
  affected within 36 hours.
• Tropical Storm Warning
• Tropical Storm conditions (sustained winds 39 MPH
  or greater) will affect the coastal area affected
  within 24 hours.

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Local NWS Tropical Storm/Hurricane Products

• There are several products issued by local NWS
  offices when a tropical system approaches, some
  of which are part of the routine products they
  typically issue.
• Hazardous Weather Outlook
• This product should be monitored for any type of
  hazardous weather including hurricanes and if a
  hurricane has the potential to pose a threat to
  an area. It is typically listed in this outlook.
• Tropical Storm/Hurricane Local Statements (Issued
  every 2-4 hours)
• Issued by local NWS Forecast Offices when
  Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watches and Warnings
  are issued for their area.
• These statements give the storm center position,
  greater detail on storm surge/tide information,
  wind information, inland flood threat, threat for
  damaging winds in coastal and inland locations
  and any known evacuation notices.
• Public Information Statements
• Issued when Tropical Storm/Hurricane Watches and
  Warnings are posted with safety and terminology
  info for the public.

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Local NWS Tropical Storm/Hurricane Products

• Special/Severe Weather Statements
• These will be issued as required for hurricane
  force winds and for when the strongest winds near
  the center of a hurricane make landfall.
• Flood Watches and Warnings for rivers, streams
  and urban areas for excessive rainfall.
• Tornado Warnings
• Tornado Warnings are being utilized more
  frequently for any potential tornadic signatures
  on radar from outer rain bands and for when the
  eye of a hurricane makes landfall.
• The Storm Prediction Center typically issues a
  Tornado Watch along and to the east of the center
  of a hurricane, as it in these areas that the
  threat for isolated tornadoes can occur within a
  hurricane, tropical storm and even remnant
  tropical systems.

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NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICEWORKING AS A TEAM

• Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane
  Center
• Coordinates with local Weather Forecast Offices
• Coordinates with emergency managers and media on
  national level
• Issues official forecast track
• Local Weather Forecast Offices Across the US
• Coordinates with emergency managers and media in
  their County Warning Area.
• Focuses on threats at the local/regional level.

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NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

• Tropical Prediction Center meteorologists are the
  specialists
• Weather Forecast Office meteorologists are the
  general practitioners

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WEATHER INFORMATION SOURCES

• Internet
• www.weather.gov
• Click on area on map that you live in for
  information from your local office.
• NOAA Weather Radio
• Coast Guard transmissions
• Commercial sources

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TROPICAL CYCLONE DEFINITIONS

• TROPICAL DEPRESSION Organized system with
  maximum sustained winds less than 34 knots
  (39 mph)
• TROPICAL STORM Well defined circulation with
  maximum sustained winds 34 63 knots (39 to 73
  mph)
• HURRICANE Sustained winds of 64 knots (74 mph)
  or higher

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HURRICANE CATEGORIESSaffir-Simpson Scale

• Category 1 sustained winds 74 to 95 mph
• Edouard in 1996 (Labor Day Weekend), Gloria in
  1985, Alex in 2004, Humberto in 2007
• Category 2 sustained winds 96 to 110 mph
• Bob in August 1991
• Category 3 sustained winds 111 to 130 mph
• 1938 Hurricane, 1944 Hurricane, Carol (1954),
  Edna (1954), Katrina (2005 landfall on Gulf
  Coast), Rita (2005 landfall in Texas/Louisiana
  border)
• Category 4 sustained winds 131 to 155 mph
• Hugo (1989), Ivan (2004 landfall in the Florida
  Panhandle)
• Category 5 sustained winds gt 155 mph
• 1935 Keys Hurricane, Camille (1969), Andrew
  (1992), Dean (2007), Felix (2007)
• Peak intensities of Ivan, Katrina, and Rita were
  Category 5 systems over the open waters.

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Key on approach of first tropical storm force
squalls not the eye!
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ALLOW FOR FORECAST ERROR!
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SITUATIONAL AWARENESS?
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Do not even think about staying with your boat
during a tropical storm or hurricane
unless you own a very large vessel and plan to
put out to sea
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CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

• History gives us a clue to what can happen, but
  our experience can be misleading

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While we should enjoy the tremendous beauty of
our coastline
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Natural Calamity Strikes At About The Time When
One Forgets Its Terror!

• ...Japanese Proverb

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• Thank you!

Rob Macedo (KD1CY) Web www.voipwx.net Email
kd1cy_at_voipwx.net Director of Operations of the
VoIP Hurricane Net ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for
NWS Taunton Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section
Emergency Coordinator
Hurricane Isabel September 2003