Hurricanes are a natural disaster that sweep the news channels and have for decades. Hurricanes are a source of tragedy, death, and devastation in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. The continuous advancements of hurricane tracking technology and up-to-date information about hurricanes on the television, satellite, and online give us the capability to protect ourselves. This can only happen if we are proactive, acting in a preventative manner. We need to listen to the national alerts and warning in order to effectively avert danger to ourselves and our property.

A Hurricane Is:

By definition, a hurricane occurs in the Northern Hemisphere and can be described as a tropical storm with winds rotating in a counter-clockwise direction at over 74 miles an hour. The calm "eye" of the storm is the center of the hurricane, and usually is 20-30 miles across. The area just outside of the eye is the "eye wall". This is typically the most destructive and violent section of the storm. When measuring a hurricane, you will find that one hurricane can be up to 400 miles across or even much larger. Hurricanes are also described as a tropical cyclone, which they are a type of. Some other types of cyclones other than hurricanes are: a tropical depression with wind speeds of approximately 38 miles per hour or less; and a tropical storm with wind speeds of 39-73 miles per hour. Hurricanes can develop from a tropical storm or depression and can also downgrade from a hurricane to a tropical storm or depression.

Hurricane Alerts:

The first step in alerting the public about a hurricane occurs when the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Hurricane Advisory. The media and other weather service agencies are told the size, speed, and the current location of the storm, along with its projected path. The next step will be a hurricane watch, which is given when the hurricane is within 36 hours of landfall. When the distance from landfall is 24 hours, a hurricane warning is issued. Every advisory issued will include important information regarding watches, alerts, and warnings of any hurricane located within 300 miles. This information given about hurricanes by officials to the public is extremely relevant. This information gives the people in the hurricane's projected path time needed to prepare and evacuate if needed.

To Prepare For A Hurricane:

If you live in a location frequented often by these storms or threatened by their projected path, there are certain preventative measures you should take. Put extra bracing on the roof trusses and on the garage door. Put plywood covers measured exactly the fit to cover your windows, or put a large duct tape X across the window for resistance.

Take heed to what weather and government officials alert you to and direct you to do in case of a hurricane. If they advise you to evacuate, evacuate. If are not able to evacuate or leave your home for health or physical reasons, go ahead and contact your local officials to plan for assistance in the matter. You should have a 72-hour emergency kit holding food, water, first aid, additional clothing, and other miscellaneous items you may need (flashlight, batteries, can opener, etc.). If you already have such a kit, make sure you take the time each pre-hurricane season to replace any old, out of date parts.

Since we cannot guess the final direction, wind speed, or amount of devastation a hurricane might have, through educating ourselves, we are able to prepare for safety when a hurricane heads our way.