Do You Live in Hurricane Country? Is 2023 the Year of Hail? Wild Severe Weather in the South As We Move Towards Hurricane Season...

 

If you received this in the mail recently....

...it's Metro Dade's way of saying "Get Ready!"

As you live in Hurricane Country.

Best part is it's divided into 3 parts.

Before. During. After.

Says it all.

Make lists. 

Divide them into these 3 categories.

Before.

During.

After.

Most people do not realize the importance of this and run out grabbing anything a neighbor told them they need to get for a hurricane. Canned food over frozen food, obviously, was the number one item to grab back in the day when canned food was all the rage. Canned Tuna needs a can opener, obviously but not so obvious as I can't tell you how many times someone told me they forgot to buy a hand held can opener for AFTER the Hurricane when the power was out and their electric one was not working. Tuna and Salmon in those little bags you tear open are good to keep and easy to store.

Telling you this now as t's a perfect example of how not thinking properly on how to manage AFTER a hurricane when the ELECTRIC (and cable) is out and you can't get money from an ATM nor can you open your can of tuna can be a real bummer. When the power goes out... you cannot get money from an ATM, you cannot get GAS to get out of town and you cannot open a can that does not have a pull top!

You know those little packages of mustard, ketchup and mayo that Fast Food places give out that you either throw away or hoard? You may want to buy them online if you are not a hoarder.... they are available at Walmart (this image) or Amazon or anywhere that sells these in bulk. They are great for trips and great for hurricane supplies. If you hoard them... make sure they are in good shape and throw whatever looks good in a in with the hurricane supplies, preferably one that is in a large rubbermaid or plastic storage container as sometimes things in a house can get wet during a hurricane. Don't want to scare newbies to Florida from the great Covid Migration but things can get sketchy during a hurricane and the power may go out and the corner bodega will not be open to grab some coffee from immediately after the storm passes. 

This is your friend unless you like black coffee.

Prepare according.

Has a pull top ...no can opener needed.

;)

Before the storm...

Prepare your property, stock up on supplies to hunker down.

If you are getting out of Dodge fast then prepare what you need to take with you.

Also, board up your home before you go... for many reasons.

During the storm....

Where will you "hunker down" ??? (interior hallway, bathroom, large closet is best)

Keep your supplies where you can reach them where you are hunkering down....

In a dry, safe place far from the window or doors where water may enter...

     (I don't want to scare you but yes that can happen)

Keep cellphone fully charged, plugged in ...until the power goes out and keep them on airplane mode.

Let someone in your family know you stayed and assure them you're okay. 

      You might not be, but no reason to scare them ;)

Follow the news on the hurricane by way of BATTERY OPERATED RADIOS.

      Did I mention you will need A LOT of batteries for during and AFTER the Hurricane.

Even tho you hate using paper plates and disposable things ...they are your friend after a storm.

    Water may be off or you may be told not to use it yet so napkins, paper cups work in emergencies.

            Life is kind of primitive after a hurricane hits.... do what you got to do.

Know where your flashlights are at all times... keep them very close at night.

Keep your shoes on when the hurricane has begun or keep them next to you.

Accidents happen, trust me and looking for the First Aid in the dark with the winds howling...

           Trust me.....keep First Aid nearby and don't wander around the house. 

                          Unless you have experience as a storm chaser, hunker down..stay inside!

After the Storm....

This is when most people get hurt and amazingly die after they survive the actual hurricane.

Accidents from falling off ladders to trying to cut down tree limbs blocking the house...

No one is at their best AFTER a hurricane has redecorated your neighborhood with debris...

     Do not drive onto flooded roads that are barricaded off for your safety.

              They are not being over protective they are trying to save your life.

Take note of what you need, what is broken and keep your kids and pets corraled somewhere safe.

Conserve anything using battery power or any device such as the phone that needs to be charged.

Make sure your generator is safely set up as they are wonderful but there are dangers inherent in their use.

Text a relative you are okay and you'll get back to them and "no you can't talk" but you'll be in touch.

Conserve food use.

Don't be locked in, pretend you are camping out or at a picnic.

Eat peanut butter on the little graham cracker cookies.

Keep the fridge shut as much as possible. 

You get the idea but honestly, unless you have been through a real hurricane you don't really know.

Logical things like don't let the kids try to climb the tree that's tilting at an odd angle after the hurricane.

Don't assume the power was shut off and walk thorugh puddles where a live wire may be...

         After Hurricane Irene in South Florida a mother walking her dog with her son were killed this way.

                It happens often, sadly. 

Treat every downed wire as if it is LIVE... 

I hope you listened to me and bought crayons for the kids for after the hurricane, they have no batteries. 

          If you have been hoarding the little packs from the Olive Garden and Chilis ...now is their time!

Note AFTER the Storm ...IF you are staying at home.........has the longest list.

I'll add what do you do in May?

In May you take stock of things. 

You check out if the hurricane shutters work. 

Are you missing any parts to put up the hurricane shutters.

Does your drill work well?

Do you know where a large blue tarp is... maybe add that to the list as you may need it.

Are those old batteries you have held onto since Hurricane Dorian was nearby still working.

The list goes on and on.

Medication?

Diapers?

Pet Food?

Everyone has their own list.

What are YOUR needs?

Do it now as we are almost a month away from Hurricane Season.

Lastly..................

Many people have asked me.

Is this pattern of severe weather with unusually large hail and violent winds a sign that we will have bad hurricanes close in around Florida or along the Gulf Coast?

yesterday's reports of hail and high winds!

Today's satellite signature... more on the way.

Hard to say as every sign of a busy season can be mitigated by another sign that would show a slower than average hurricane season. Every forecast for a busy season does not mean it will be busy and every forecast for a slow season is ripe with memories of when a Major Hurricane made landfall.

Blue tracks are usually your friend.

Lack of hurricanes.

2013

Forecat to be above average.

Deaths in Central America from 1 hurricane.

Only takes 1!

Take the 2013 Hurricane Season, it was forecast to be above average and yet most tropical disturbances had problems becoming tropical depressions or storms and they all have problems becoming hurricanes. In fact a few pulled together than fell apart then pulled together again but did not develop much. Never mention 2013 to a Hurricane Chaser, trust me just don't. But it's an example of a forecast gone wrong. And, 1997 was forecast to be a busy hurricane season and then an El Nino on steroids came on fast and heavy and it was a slower than normal season, a very slow but memorable hurricane season.

Don't listen to hype on El Nino making it a slow season.

Don't click on Click Bait articles promising you a slow season.

It only takes 1!

As for our current weather set up...........

Yes, the hail has been horrendous and of almost biblical proportions in Florida. 

Yes, the rainy season may be starting early and if so that bodes badly for South Florida as the ground is saturated (even for S FL) and bugs are breeding in standing water and where Low Pressure exists is a popular draw for anything that forms nearby at the edge of an old decaying front or a weak, early tropical wave that made it across the Atlantic and finds a place with low shear where it has a chance of spinning into a tropical disturbance of some kind. May Hurricanes do happen... 

So prepare.

Don't believe Click Bait.

Check with the NHC and your local NWS often.

Don't throw this away if you got it in the mail, it's not JUNK MAIL it's there to help protect you before, during and after the Hurricane. 

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter mostly weather and Instagram weather and whatever.

Good video of yesterday's event... shows how hail looked as if snow had covered the highway in Florida.

As a child I saw the schoolyard covered in hail as if snow had fallen, yes it melted fast. 

It was as close as I came to seeing snow growing up in person. 

Wild memory.

As for the Hurricane Season of 2023

If you ever went thru Katrina or Donna.

Jeanne or Frances.

You'll know what I mean...

...goes for Georges, Floyd and Ian too.