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May 16, 2012

By Seconda Hollinger

Hurricane season starts June 1. Are you ready?

What you can do:

Stay informed of potential weather hazards through e-mails, the Amerilert system and the public address speaker system on the Yard. Amerilert sends text messages and desktop notifications to academy personnel. Sign up on the website.
Know the hazards. Look carefully at the safety actions associated with each type of hurricane hazard and prepare your family disaster plan accordingly. But remember this is only a guide. The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense. Hurricane hazards include:
Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a hurricane.
- A hurricane watch means a hurricane is possible in your area. Be prepared to evacuate. Monitor local radio and television news outlets or listen to NOAA Weather Radio for the latest developments.
- A hurricane warning is when a hurricane is expected in your area. If local authorities advise you to evacuate, leave immediately.

Hurricane Categories:

Scale Number (Category)	Sustained Winds	Damage	Storm Surge
1	74-75 mph	Minimal: unanchored mobile home, vegetation and signs	4-5 feet
2	96-110 mph	Moderate: all mobile homes, roofs, small crafts, flooding	6-8 feet
3	111-130 mph	Extensive: small buildings, low-lying roads cut off	9-12 feet
4	131-155 mph	Extreme: Roofs destroyed, trees down, roads cut off, mobile homes destroyed, beach homes flooded	13-18 feet
5	Greater than 155 mph	Catastrophic: most buildings destroyed, vegetation destroyed, major roads cut off, homes flooded	Greater than 18 feet

Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness:

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