october 2008

We don't like Ike...

Hurricane Ike’s path of destruction ran through the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles before making landfall in Galveston, Texas. While the storm approached Category 5 strength at its peak intensity in the Atlantic, it never exceeded Category 2 strength as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico.

If that’s the case, why was the storm surge experienced across the region so high? In some areas, it exceeded 20 feet. In Ike’s case, the excessive storm surge was caused by the extremely large wind field. Because the hurricane-force winds extended 190 miles from the center – and the sustained tropical storm-force winds an almost unheard of 250 miles – the storm was able to push a tremendous amount of water at the coast. This was very similar to the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm, yet eclipsed the surge record set by Category 5 Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Even with dire predictions of “certain death” made by the local National Weather Service office, more than 20,000 Galveston residents chose to stay and ride out the storm. Some put faith in the 17-foot-tall seawall built after the deadly Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, while others believed that "just" a Category 2 storm couldn’t cause that much damage.

Fortunately, the city’s seawall held, and there wasn’t a tremendous loss of life. However, those who remain on the island are cut off from basic utilities and essential services such as quick access to hospitals.

When an evacuation order is given, it is critical that it be obeyed. Had Ike affected an unprotected shoreline – exactly as we have here in Pinellas County – those who remained behind would have put themselves – and their potential rescuers – at tremendous risk.

While it may seem like an expensive inconvenience, evacuating from a surge-prone area is the best way to save your life. Find your evacuation level at www.pinellascounty.org/emergency, or call the Interactive Voice Response System at (727) 453-3150.

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Know Your Zone

While this article originally ran in the May edition of the E-Lert, given the number of calls and questions regarding how evacuation levels are determined and how evacuation orders are given, it is timely that this be run again.

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You may have found it on the Internet, by calling Pinellas County Emergency Management or by opening your utility bill. Maybe a neighbor told you. Now that you know what your evacuation level is, what exactly does it mean?

First and foremost, what are you being evacuated from? When a hurricane is coming, people tend to focus on the wind speed. However, the greatest killer in hurricanes is storm surge. More Americans died in the storm surge of the Great Galveston Hurricane in September 1900 (6,000 to 12,000 people) than the total in every U.S. landfalling hurricane since.

Knowing this, evacuation zones are drawn based on the land’s elevation above sea level and the anticipated storm surge level. Thus, a level A evacuation would be called for a Category 1 storm, a B level for a Category 2 and so on.

There is one notable exception. Mobile homes are never considered safe places to ride out a hurricane because they are vulnerable to high winds and debris impact. Regardless of the evacuation level called, all mobile home residents will also be required to evacuate.

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Staying Safe: Food safety after a power outage

A hurricane can cut power to your home for days – even weeks. Even strong thunderstorms can knock out power for a few hours until repairs are made. While power outages can be annoying, they can present health risks caused by food spoilage, especially when refrigerated food is kept above 40°F. Here are some tips that can help keep you safe after a power outage:

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. If you know a storm is coming, making a quick inventory of what’s inside and where it’s located will help you find items quickly should the power go out.

• Most refrigerated food should be safe if the power is out less than four hours and if the food is still "refrigerator cold."

• Discard any refrigerated food that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.

• Discard any food that has an unusual odor, color, texture or has bugs.

• If power will be off more than six hours, move refrigerated foods to an insulated cooler filled with plenty of ice or freezer packs.

• Keep a thermometer in the cooler to be sure the food stays at 40°F or below.

• Never taste food to determine its safety! Some food may look and smell fine, but if it's been at room temperature more than two hours, bacteria able to cause food-borne illness can multiply very rapidly.

• Remember this: When in doubt, throw it out!

For more information about food safety, call the Pinellas County Health Department at (727) 824-6900 or visit www.pinellashealth.com/EH_FoodHygiene.asp.

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Know your Hurricane Deductible

Hurricane deductibles are different than other deductibles. The deductible for hurricane damage depends on the value of the insured property and applies only to hurricane claims, i.e., damage resulting from a hurricane declared by the National Weather Service. The consumer can choose a deductible-based insured value.

This change occurred as a result of many homeowners suffering damage from multiple storms and faced with multiple deductible payments. There are now limits to the number of times a hurricane deductible is paid. It is once per calendar year, per insurance company. If a consumer changes companies, they could pay two deductibles. Once the hurricane deductible has been met with an insurance company, subsequent hurricane losses are subject to the all-other-perils deductible.

The hurricane deductible from the first hurricane of the season is applied. If a second hurricane strikes in the same season, the deductible for that hurricane would be the remaining amount from the first hurricane deductible, or the all-other-perils deductible of the policy, whichever is greater.

If there is a third storm, the method of applying deductibles for subsequent hurricanes within the same calendar year would be the same process. Either the remaining hurricane deductible, or the all-other-perils deductible, whichever is greater, applies for each additional hurricane.

For example – if you have a hurricane deductible of $2,000, and an all-other-peril deductible of $500, and your home receives $1,800 in damage from a hurricane, should a second storm do further damage, your deductible will be $500 – the full all-other-peril amount. If you only receive $1,200 in damage, the deductible for additional damage will be $800 – the remainder of the hurricane deductible amount.

For more insurance tips and suggestions, read the Consumer Guide to Homeowner Insurance produced by the Florida Department of Financial Services. The guide may be obtained by downloading it from the website at www.myfloridacfo.com or by calling the toll free Florida Department of Financial Services Consumer Helpline at 877-MyFLCFO (1-877-693-5236) and asking for a free copy to be mailed to your home.

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Storms in History

Tropical Storm Josephine, 1996

When you think of storm surge and flooding, the threat that hurricanes pose comes to mind. Large disorganized tropical storms will rarely raise an eyebrow, especially when they are expected to make landfall well north of the Tampa Bay area.

In October, 1996, tropical storm Josephine was making its way across the Gulf of Mexico from west to east. This is a typical path for storms to travel in October, as the westerly wind flow advances south through autumn. Emergency managers were on alert and some basic preparations were made, but no mandatory evacuations were issued.

All day, gusts and rain bands lashed the coast, but the real surprise waited until the evening. As the sun set on October 7, a storm surge began to rise in Tampa Bay. When the storm's winds and the normal high tide arrived, combined with the area's unique geography, extensive coastal flooding took place. In fact, tides in St. Petersburg ran 4 to 6 feet above normal.

The storm later went on to make landfall near Apalachee Bay, spawned 22 tornadoes and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power. A high wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and 1,400 homes in Pinellas County were flooded by saltwater. Ultimately, the storm crossed to the Atlantic, raking the coastal states and causing more than $130 million in damages.

For more information on 1996’s Tropical Storm Josephine, visit Wikipedia’s Tropical Storm Josephine page at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Josephine_(1996).

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What does THAT mean?

When it comes down to it, wind plays an important role in the formation of hurricanes. Tropical systems get a name when they reach a sustained wind speed of 39 mph and are called a hurricane when the sustained wind reaches 74 mph. More importantly, wind speed and direction in the greater atmosphere has a great deal of effect on a storm’s development.

Storms tend to develop and strengthen when air in all layers of the atmosphere are blowing from roughly the same direction and speed. This focuses all of the energy generated by the storm over one area, building the convection necessary for the system to gather strength.

A wind shear condition exists if the wind is blowing from different directions or at greatly different speeds. In some cases, the upper level winds near the tropopause are blowing nearly opposite of the lower level winds. The tropopause is the boundary at about 40,000 feet above sea level between the lowest-level of the atmosphere – the troposphere – and the next highest level – the stratosphere. This situation will scatter the clouds being formed by the storm, sapping it of strength.

This wind shear is typically extreme during the late autumn, winter and early spring, a contributing factor to the lack of storms outside of hurricane season. In June and early July, and then again in late October and November, the wind shear builds steadily as the seasons change, again partly explaining the low numbers of storms during the "shoulders" of the season.

You can read an excellent tutorial on wind shear at www.wunderground.com/education/shear.asp.

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