Hurricane Georges
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Hurricane Georges approaching Gulf Coast - MPEG movie in color (September 28)- 4.7mb
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The most destructive part of a hurricane
is usually the storm surge. The surge effect is due to the winds of the hurricane
pushing up a "dome" of water in front of the hurricane. As this surge of water
hits the coastal area tides may be several tens of feet higher than normal.
This wall of water works it's way up rivers to cause damage far inland. The
rise in water level happens at the same time as the heavy rains associated with
hurricanes. The fall of ten inches or more of rain during the hurricane is not
unusual. The tidal surge and the rainfall combine to cause
flooding. The damage caused by the flooding of property is the largest
cost to property owners due to hurricanes. Wind damages bring about the second
highest cost, due to the physical power of the hurricane. The costs due to the
hurricane just start with the physical damage caused by the hurricane. The general
disturbance of every day life activities in any area impacted by disaster bring
about costs due to business operations being disrupted. The ability of people
to work may be limited due to the shortages of the essential requirements for
life, for the need to find replacement housing, for the care of family members
injured or traumatized by
the disaster, and for the shortage of materials essential for work. There is
some delay between the disaster and the availability of funding to begin repairs.
Many business within a disaster area do not reopen, because insurance
may be lacking to pay for the needed repairs, and even if
insurance or loans are available, they may not be enough to cover the required
repairs. Damage to essential data stored in computer systems may make restarting
an existing business difficult. And any disruption in a business will cause
an existing business' clients to seek other suppliers, so that when the business
reopens it may find itself with out it's previous patrons. Hurricanes
are one disaster in which it is possible to have several days warning prior
to the hurricanes arrival. As the arrival of the hurricane can be to some extent
predicted, it is important to begin preparations
for the hurricane as soon as we have information that it may land in a location
near us. Because we can not know exactly where the hurricane will hit, it is
important to listen to the local weather authorities.
Local weather authorities will issue warnings and announce evacuations. Given
a large scale disaster your family may be cut off from any assistance for three
days. Every family should
have on hand a supply of food, water, personal and medical supplies to last
at least 3 days. In any disaster situation it is possible that utilities will
not be functioning. For this reason, you should keep on hand a supply of cash
and a full tank of fuel in any vehicle. If we live in an area that has a history
hurricanes, we can and should begin our preparations
for hurricanes long before we receive any notification. Consult local building
authorities about any improvements that may be made to your house
to lesson the likelihood of damage to the structure. The biggest factor
in determining the likelihood of your properties ability to withstand damage
due to winds is the date of its construction. In recent years building codes
have been upgraded. As a general rule, the older the property the more likely
it is to sustain damage in a disaster. Walk around the outside of your property.
Inspect the trees and landscaping for objects likely to fall or to be blown
away by the winds associated with a hurricane. Consider purchasing storm shutters
or pre-purchasing the supplies needed to protect windows from storm damage.
Since water damage is the biggest cause of property
damage in a disaster you should examine the possibly of purchasing flood insurance.
Just because you are outside of the recognized
flood zones does not mean your home will not be flooded. The cost of reparing
damage due to flooding is not normally covered by most home
owners policies, but is the biggest single cause of property damage.
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Atlantic Hurricane Names for 1998
Hurricane Alex
Hurricane Bonnie
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Danielle
Hurricane Earl
Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Hermine
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Karl
Hurricane Lisa
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Nicole
Hurricane Otto
Hurricane Paula
Hurricane Richard
Hurricane Shary
Hurricane Tomas
Hurricane Virginie
Hurricane Walter
Eastern North Pacific Names for 1998
Hurricane Agatha
Hurricane Blas
Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Darby
Hurricane Estelle
Hurricane Frank
Hurricane Georgette
Hurricane Howard
Hurricane Isis
Hurricane Javier
Hurricane Kay
Hurricane Lester
Hurricane Madeline
Hurricane Newton
Hurricane Orlene
Hurricane Paine
Hurricane Roslyn
Hurricane Seymour
Hurricane Tina
Hurricane Virgil
Hurricane Winifred
Hurricane Xavier
Hurricane Yolanda
Hurricane Zeke
