Sally Says
From the Desk of Pinellas County’s Emergency Management Director
Sometimes, dealing with two of anything can be a challenge. Ask a parent of twins how much work it is to care for a pair of little ones. Someone working two jobs will spend a tremendous amount of time away from home making ends meet. And if you should win the lottery twice ... well, that’s a problem I wish I had.
When it comes to emergencies, however, it’s never a good time to have two things happen at once. Unfortunately, in the summer of 2009, we are facing a pair of challenges that need some consideration.
First, we are now in the busiest part of the hurricane season. From now until late October it’s vital that you pay close attention to the tropics since storms can form just about anywhere now. Our other concern is the spread of the H1N1 virus. You may not think that there is a connection between the two, but what happens if we have to open evacuation shelters? How could we check the spread of the virus and shelter people from the storm?
While our office is addressing these issues, there is one sure-fire way you can help prevent the spread of the virus and stay safe from storms ... consider sheltering somewhere other than a public shelter. Staying with a friend or relative, going to a hotel or leaving the area entirely well before a storm threatens are three ways you can stay safe and healthy. Remember, you should consider a public shelter as a last resort. However, if you have no other options and you must go to a shelter, follow common-sense precautions such as proper hand washing or the use of hand sanitizers to keep the flu at bay.
Pinellas County has launched a new H1N1 information page that links you to the best sources for swine flu information. The site is at www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/special_advisory.htm. You can also call the Pinellas County Health Department’s H1N1 information line at (727) 824-6964.
Remember that Surviving the Storm is Everyone’s Responsibility. Do your part to get ready.
September is the busiest month
Now that September is here, the Atlantic hurricane season has reached its midpoint. Now is when things typically are at their busiest. Why is this?
For starters, the waters in the tropical Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea are at their highest temperatures, and wind shear – the condition where winds blow from different directions in the different layers in the atmosphere – is lowest. This provides plenty of fuel and the right conditions for storms to grow.
Since 1850, fully one-third of the Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes that form do so in the month of September. In fact, the date that statistically sees the peak of a season’s activity is September 10.
What does this mean for you? If you haven’t done so already, the time to prepare for the threat of hurricane season is now. Tropical Storm Fay proved that storms can be unpredictable, and even relatively weak storms can inflict tremendous damage through extensive flooding. Long lines at home improvement outlets, grocery stores and gas stations during the active 2004 hurricane season demonstrate why it’s so important to purchase your supplies now to prevent panic shopping should a storm threaten. Take a quick inventory of the nonperishable food in your pantry and at the items in your hurricane survival kit. Are you missing anything? If so, now is the time to act to put those last items into your kit.
If you haven’t yet put together a plan, you can pick up a copy of the Pinellas County Surviving the Storm guide at your local library or city hall, or view it online at www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/hurricaneguide.htm.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Florida is fortunate to have millions of older residents, many of whom were drawn here by the warm weather, plentiful sunshine and natural beauty. However, when tropical weather turns bad, we all need to be prepared.
To help make it easier for Floridians to help each other prepare, the American Association of Retired Persons launched Operation Hurricane Prepare. On this site, residents can view hurricane preparedness tools which are tailored to meet the needs of older residents. These include ways in which people can become involved individually or as part of a group and how to connect with other Floridians looking to find ways to reach out to others.
Operation Hurricane Prepare is a part of the nationwide Create the Good campaign initiated by AARP. To find out more, visit www.aarp.org/hurricaneprepare.
The most frequently asked questions
Last year, during the threat of Tropical Storm Fay, the county’s Citizens Information Center’s operators were in high gear, fielding more than 3,500 phone calls from concerned residents. What were the three most frequently asked questoins?
• What’s my evacuation level? This is one of the most important pieces of information you need to know to be ready for a storm’s threat. Find your evacuation level TODAY by:
- Calling (727) 453-3150 and entering your home’s phone number
- Visiting www.pinellascounty.org/emergency
- Checking your Pinellas County Utility bill
• How do I register for special needs evacuation assistance? If you need transportation, are mobility impaired, oxygen dependent or have some other qualifying medical condition – or know someone who fits the description – you can call to preregister for special needs evacuation assistance. Call your local fire department to complete a short form over the phone, and you will receive assistance during times of evacuation. Register now – don’t wait until the next storm comes. Remember, this program is a safety net for those with no family, friends or other options to provide a way to public shelter.
• Will the schools be open tomorrow? While it might take some time to arrive at decisions about topics like this, remember that the local news will provide the latest information, and you can always check the county’s website for the latest during a storm.
Think rebuilding costs, not real estate value, for insurance protection
It’s still hurricane season, and if you forgot to do an annual review of your property insurance when your policy was renewed, now is a very good time to do it.
Remember to insure your property for what it would cost to rebuild, not the real estate value. The real estate value of your home may have declined with the recession, but rebuilding costs have not. In fact, rebuilding costs nationally have risen almost 4 percent over the past year. Keep in mind, too, that the real estate value of your home includes the cost of the land in and around your home. Because the land is not insured, just your structure, you can remove that cost from the rebuilding equation.
Buying insurance based on your home’s real estate could leave you underinsured in today’s economy. Type “building-cost calculator” into the search engine on your computer to find online tools to help determine the amount of insurance coverage you need to rebuild your home. And have a conversation with your insurance company or agent at least once a year to be confident you have the right protection.
For more information, visit www.InsuringFlorida.org.
Storms in History
Hurricane Easy, September 1 – 7, 1950
The very first year that the National Weather Service started naming storms (they relied on the military’s spoken alphabet – Able, Baker, Charley, Dog, Easy...) and the first year a new, sophisticated weather radar network was installed, the Atlantic hurricane season of 1950 produced some interesting tropical systems.
Hurricane Dog was a monster that skirted the east coast, Hurricane King was a mid-October storm that ripped through the Caribbean and hit Florida, and Cyclone Mike became the first hurricane to ever be removed from the hurricane database (it wasn’t tropical). That year still holds the record for the largest number of intense hurricanes ever recorded (8).
However, the one that was most interesting was Hurricane Easy. This storm developed in the western Caribbean and had trouble getting organized. However, once the storm did develop a rotation, it intensified rapidly, becoming a category 3 storm with winds of 125 miles per hour. As it paralleled the west coast of Florida, the storm began to behave erratically. It executed a loop due west of Pinellas County on September 4 and made landfall near Homosassa on the 5th. At the point of landfall, the storm executed another loop, making Cedar Key one of the few places in the world to witness the same hurricane’s eye passing overhead twice.
From there, the storm headed south over land toward the Tampa Bay area, then reversed its direction in the early hours of the 6th and headed due north.
Easy brought with it a 6.5 foot surge in Tampa Bay and sustained winds of 125 miles per hour in Cedar Key. Because the storm meandered so long in one area at landfall, the rain totals were tremendous. Yankeetown set a 24-hour record of 38.7 inches. This record stood until Tropical Storm Claudette dumped 43 inches of rain on Alvin, Texas, in 1979.
For more information on 1950’s Hurricane Easy, visit the Wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Easy_(1950).
We take our show on the road
Hurricane season is here, and if you’re looking for a presentation for your homeowner’s association, civic group, church, business or other gathering, Pinellas County can help.
Currently, there are four hurricane-related presentations that can be requested:
- Hurricane 101 What are hurricanes? How do they form? What are their effects? Get the basics on these dangerous tropical storms.
- Does it Take a Category 5? Everyone in Florida worries about the next ‘big one.’ But does a hurricane have to be a monster to do major damage? See what damage storms of all Saffir-Simpson categories are able to do.
- Busting Hurricane Myths Learn the dangers of some commonly held beliefs when hurricanes approach. Not only will you find the real story, you may also save your life when a storm comes.
- Hurricanes for Kids Hurricane season can be a very trying time for younger family members. Through experiments and easy-to-understand language, your youngsters can find some control over these scary situations.
To schedule a speaker, call Pinellas County’s Speakers Bureau at (727) 464-3000. Remember, knowledge is power. We can’t do anything about the weather, but by knowing what to do when bad weather threatens, you can gain control over your personal safety.
What does THAT mean?
Believe it or not, it’s not easy for a hurricane to form. It takes the right wind conditions, the right latitude and the right kind of disturbance for the system to form around. One of the most important ingredients is the temperature of the water over which the storm forms.
Since tropical systems are giant heat engines drawing their strength from the evaporation and condensation of water, warm sea surface temperatures – and the higher humidity levels they can generate – are a critical factor for their development. Although there are some exceptions, tropical systems typically develop over water with a temperature greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not only does the water have to be warm, is has to be warm well below the surface in order to provide the energy the growing storm needs. The minimum depth necessary is 50 meters (approximately 165 feet). Why so deep? The winds of a tropical storm or hurricane stir up the water, driving the warm ‘skin’ layer of water deep and bringing up cooler waters from the depths. This upwelling effect can actually hinder the growth of slow-moving storms and those that follow shortly behind. This was seen last year in Hurricane Bertha. When this long-lived system slowed near Bermuda, it produced a great deal of upwelling which likely caused it to weaken below hurricane strength. Once Bertha began moving again over warmer water, it nearly regained hurricane strength as it passed just east of Bermuda.
How is the sea surface temperature measured? It used to be as simple as putting a thermometer into a bucket of water hauled up to a ship’s deck. Today, satellites can measure the infrared radiation emitted by the water. The more radiation, the higher the temperature. Those readings can be cataloged and tracked week to week, giving meteorologists an opportunity to watch the temperatures throughout the hurricane season.
To see the current sea surface temperatures around the world, visit http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sst.html.
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