Hurricane Myths Dispelled
Not Everything You Hear About Hurricanes Is True
POSTED: Monday, May 12, 2008
UPDATED: 5:25 pm EDT August 27,
2008
  |
Believing everything you hear about a hurricane can prove to be a deadly decision. From deciding to ride out a storm at home to not evacuating as soon as possible, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tells five myths about hurricane’s that people need to know aren’t mythical.
- The area is under evacuation order but the weather looks great right now, so people should wait until the weather gets bad before they evacuate. This can be one of the most dangerous decisions you can make. Evacuation orders are based on the best available information and are issued early enough to provide people with time to get to shelter. Waiting until the last minute can leave you with no escape if the storm does not behave according to forecast.
- Only coastal areas are at risk from hurricanes. A hurricane is not just a coastal event. The strong winds, heavy rains, tornadoes and inland flooding from weakening tropical systems can spread well inland and cause tremendous damage. For example, in 2001, heavy rainfall produced by Tropical Storm Allison caused catastrophic floods in Houston, Texas. FEMA estimated that the damages in the Houston area reached approximately $4.8 billion.
- Winds from a hurricane can not be that much worse than winds from a summer thunderstorm. While summer thunderstorms can produce wind gusts of more 60 miles per hour, the winds of a major hurricane can reach more than twice that speed and will be sustained for hours, much longer than a thunderstorm. Each time wind speed is doubled, the wind force increases by a factor of four. Also, minimum hurricane strength winds of 74 mph can drive a piece of 2x4 lumber through a reinforced concrete wall four inches thick.
- The storm surge is only going to be 15 to 20 feet at worst. My condo is on the upper floor. I’m riding out the storm there. Vertical evacuation, or escaping the rising storm surge by going to the upper stories of a building, is not always a good idea. Wind speeds increase the higher you get, so you are evacuating into a more dangerous place. Also, the high winds and water make getting help to you harder once the storm is over.
- Why prepare for a big hurricane? When it comes, my house will be destroyed anyways. While a hurricane’s winds can destroy even the most solidly built structures, taking some basic precautions can significantly reduce damage from a storm. Shuttering windows, bracing garage and entry doors and bringing in yard items can be the difference between destruction and minor damage.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
-
-
Hurricane Ida Pummels El Salvador
3:02 P.M. GMT november 9, 20098:56 A.M. GMT november 10, 2009 -
Hurricane Ida Creeps Closer To US Shores
4:11 P.M. GMT november 8, 20099:06 A.M. GMT november 9, 2009
The views expressed are not those of JustNews.com, WPLG or its affiliated companies. This is a community moderated forum. (Please note the 'Like' and 'Report' tabs.) By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Someone fired shots from a BB gun on the University of Miami on Friday afternoon, according to a memo from the university to students.
A 13-year-old boy accused of plotting to kill his friend's mother agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in a Miami courtroom Friday morning.
Police say they are not ruling out road rage as a possible motive in a shooting that left two men dead and closed several streets in downtown Miami Friday morning.
A group of investors claiming they were scammed by lawyer Scott Rothstein have filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming he orchestrated a massive Ponzi scheme.
Investors say they lost everything in an alleged Ponzi scheme, while the woman who allegedly scammed them is living large on their invested money.
Watch as the owner of a business being investigated on Ponzi scheme allegations walks and the rides away from Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.
Raw Video: On Tuesday, Miami-Dade Schools Police told WPLG-TV's Jeff Weinsier he was trespassing and that he needed to leave.
Friends and family will say their final goodbyes Friday to one of three teens who died when their car flipped into a Coral Springs canal last weekend. 
Members of South Florida's Caribbean community say they were promised big returns when they invested their money, but all they got were broken promises.
Parents and students are expressing their frustration over a proposal to bus students from an overcrowded school in Cooper City to others that are farther away.
Take a look onboard the world's largest cruise ship, which is home-ported at Port Everglades.
Friday morning looks a little gloomy -- will it stay that way this weekend?
Forbes magazine has released its annual list of the most overpaid Hollywood stars. Topping the list? Will Ferrell.
Thirty Victoria's Secret supermodels take over New York's Times Square this week.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
