Hurricane Florence – South Carolina, North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic Region Pay Close Attention….

Hurricane Florence – South Carolina, North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic Region Pay Close Attention….

Posted on September 9, 2018 by sundance 

As of the 11:00am advisory Florence has become a category one hurricane with rapid strengthening anticipated over the next 36 hours.  The forecast track is still uncertain; however residents of South and North Carolina and the Mid-Atlantic region should pay close attention. There is a reasonable possibility Florence could be a multi-day event for the east coast – hovering for several days next weekend – SEE HERE (hit play)
Coastal residents of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic should pay close attention; and begin carrying out the beginning of a proactive hurricane plan.  Florence will likely approach the coast sometime on Thursday; residents have four full days for preparation. This specific storm has the signature forecast for of a major multi-day power outage.

[National Hurricane Center] At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located by a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 24.4 North, longitude 56.3 West. Florence is moving toward the west near 6 mph (9 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week.

On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday.

Aircraft data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Florence is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane by Monday, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday. (link)
The concerning aspect to this storm is the possibility it may make landfall and hover, wobble and position in place, on the eastern seaboard; very similar to Hurricane Harvey in Houston Texas last year.  –SEE HERE (hit play)  Under this scenario major flooding and massive ‘prolonged’ (week +) power outages would be anticipated.
For those in the southeast and mid-atlantic; remember, planning and proactive measures taken now can significantly reduce stress in the days ahead.  Plan when to make the best decision on any evacuation (if needed) consider Tuesday night the decision time-frame. As a general rule: take cover from wind – but evacuate away from water.
DAY ONE (Today)

• Determine Your Risk
  
• Make a Written Plan
  
• Develop and Evacuation Plan
  

DAY TWO (Monday)

• Get Storm Update
  
• Assemble and Purchase Hurricane Supplies
  
• Contact Insurance Company – Updates
  
• Secure Important Papers.
  

DAY THREE (Tuesday)

• Get Storm Update
  
• Strengthen and Secure Your Home
  
• Make Evacuation Decision for your Family.
  

DAY FOUR (Wednesday)

• Get Storm Update
  
• Re-Evaluate your Supplies based on storm update
  
• Flex Time
  

DAY FIVE (Thursday)

• Get Storm Update
  
• Assist Your Neighbors
  
• Re-Evaluate w/ Storm Update
  
• If Needed – Evacuate Your Family
  

Communication is important.  Update your contact list. Stay in touch with family and friends, let them know your plans. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed.  Today/tomorrow are good days to organize your important papers, insurance forms, personal papers and place them in one ‘ready-to-go’ location.
Evaluate your personal hurricane and storm supplies; update and replace anything you might have used. Assess, modify and/or update any possible evacuation plans based on your location, and/or any changes to your family status.
Check your shutters and window coverings; test your generator; re-organize and familiarize yourself with all of your supplies and hardware. Check batteries in portable tools; locate tools you might need; walk your property to consider what you may need to do based on the storms path. All decisions are yours. You are in control.
Due to coastal populations, a southeast storm means adding almost a day to any movement plans based on roads and traffic density. Being proactive now helps to keep any future stress level low. You are in control. If you have pets, additional plans may be needed.
One possible proactive measure is to make a list of hotels further inland that you would consider evacuating to.  Make that list today/tomorrow and follow updates of the storms’ progress.
Depending on later information you might call in advance and make a reservation; you can always cancel if not needed.  It is better to have a secondary evacuation place established in advance.  Being proactive reduces stress.  Even if you wait until much later to cancel, it is better to pay a cancellation fee (usually one night charge) than to not have a plan on where to go.   Trust me, it’s worth it.  Protect your family. Make the list of possibilities today, make the booking decision in the next 48 hrs.
Look over the National Hurricane Center resources for planning assistance.



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