Dreaded Storm Season

See the 2 full interviews with NWS Meteorologist Robert Molleda on Comcast on Demand > Get Local > Comcast Newsmakers

Three things in life are certain, for those of us who call South Florida home: death, taxes and hurricane season.

Unforgetable Past

Some years, like in 2005, we were peppered with hurricanes all season long. That was the year we went “camping” for a few weeks after Hurricane Wilma took a right turn after hitting the Yucatan Peninsula and cut electric, cable and phone lines as well as a wide swath across South Florida.   If you remember, that was also the year we ran out of, what the National Hurricane Center calls, Tropical Cyclone Names (there are only 21) and had to transition to the Greek alphabet. We ended that season with a Tropical Storm Zeta on Christmas week.

"that was also the year we ran out of ... Tropical Cyclone Names" - Spero Canton

Mental Fist Pumps

But there are other years when we watch these storm systems from afar. For the past 4 years we’ve seen various tropical systems dip south, turn north or die out due to wind shear. Every time that happens we all, at least subconsciously, do a little fist pump. We celebrate that we dodged the wrath of Mother Nature once again and quickly go back to our daily routine.

After four years of doing those mental fist pumps, all of us here in South Florida have become complacent; they call it hurricane amnesia, a condition that worries Emergency Management Directors and the folks at the National Weather Service.

Be Hurricane Prepared

Getting ready for hurricane season should be a yearly ritual for everyone in the “tropic cyclone” corridor, but, face it, we have a habit of procrastinating and waiting until “chicken little time” to get the provisions we need to ride out a storm.

Keep in mind, we all need three days worth of water, medication, food (freeze dried stuff is perfect), lots of batteries and a radio.  I would also suggest a battery operated fan, a charcoal or gas grill and a good book along with lanterns for nighttime illumination. I just tell people up north that after a hurricane, we go camping in South Florida until electricity is restored.

I know you’re saying “we’ve been lucky for the past 4 years, why would things change this year?” And in reply, I’d say “the Atlantic Ocean is warm.”

Storm Science

Our newsmaker expert, Meteorologist Robert Molleida of the National Weather Service, tells us this month that the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is the warmest it’s been in many years and La Niña, which was responsible for knocking down several storms last year with her wind shear, is taking a vacation this year. We think she’s either in Hawaii or Tahiti, so the conditions are ripe for some major hurricane activity right here in our back yard.

Hurricanes can be deadly and are always a hardship. You owe it to yourself, your family and loved ones to be prepared. Form a family plan. Gather all you need before the crowds clear off all the shelves at the local supermarket.

This year, let’s hope for the best, but prepare for worst.

- Spero Canton