Hurricane season is here – Be prepared

Daniel Island resident and lifelong Charleston local Jerry Bacon lived through his fair share of hurricanes and tropical storms, including Hugo, when he lived on Sullivan’s Island. His best piece of advice for storm preparation: “Make sure that you have your property insurance up to date and do it now before the season gets here.” He added, “I was an insurance agent during Hugo and saw every kind of loss there was.”

 

The hurricane season officially began on June 1. And Mother Nature didn’t waste time as Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the Gulf of Mexico on June 2. It was downgraded to a tropical depression a day later and was expected to remain offshore and have minimal impact on the Gulf Coast states. As of this writing, there are no tropical cyclones or depressions active or forming in the Atlantic Ocean.

 

If you have not already started your preparation, you have a bit of reprieve, so do it now. Local, state, and federal emergency agencies echo Bacon’s insurance advice, urging residents to review their policies for home, auto, and boat. Please note that standard policies do not cover flood damage. You must purchase separate flood insurance. See the insurance checklist on page 20.

 

Beyond updating your insurance, South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and Berkeley County Emergency provide a list of preparations you can make.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS YEAR

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a range of 12 to 17 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher) for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Of those, they predict 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges. 

 

NOAA predicts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.

 

According to NOAA, the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be less active than recent years, due to competing factors — some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it — driving this year’s overall forecast for a near-normal season. 

 

After three hurricane seasons with La Nina (cooler sea-surface water temperature) present, NOAA scientists predict a high potential for El Nino (warmer sea-surface water temperature in the Pacific Ocean) to develop this summer. The impact of El Nino is to increase upper level winds in the Atlantic Ocean, which makes it harder for storms to develop.

 

El Nino’s potential influence on storm development could be offset by favorable conditions local to the tropical Atlantic Basin. Those conditions include the potential for an above-normal west African monsoon, which produces African easterly waves and seeds some of the stronger and longer-lived Atlantic storms. Warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea also creates more energy to fuel storm development. These factors are part of the longer term variability in Atlantic atmospheric and oceanic conditions that are conducive to hurricane development — known as the high-activity era for Atlantic hurricanes — which have been producing more active Atlantic hurricane seasons since 1995.

 

BE PREPARED TO EVACUATE

 

According to SC Hurricanes Comprehensive Summary compiled by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina has about an 80% chance of being impacted by a tropical system each year.

 

SCEMD advises residents to know their zone, personalize their plan, prepare their home, and remember their route.

 

Daniel Island and Cainhoy residents live in the Central Coast Region, Zone B. In the event of an evacuation, residents are directed to use I-526 to I-26 or Clements Ferry Road to SC 41 to SC 402, then to US 52 to SC 375, then to US 521, to SC 261 to US 378 to Columbia.

Make sure other people know your plan, share it with others. And, make sure you fuel up before you go.

 

SCEMD suggests that you have multiple ways to receive emergency information and storm information. These include Wireless Emergency Alerts on mobile devices, NOAA weather radios, local broadcast on TV and radio. You can also sign up for CodeRED alerts via scemd.org and track road conditions on 511sc.org.

 

Prepare a basic disaster supply kit – a full list is provided on page 20 – and have it ready to go should an evacuation order be given. 

 

Don’t forget about making plans for your pets – this includes locating a pet friendly place to stay following evacuation. See the full pet planning checklist provided on page 20.

 

PREPARE YOUR HOME

 

Daniel Island Property Association Operations Manager Chris Hamil offered this advice, “Be prepared. Don’t take any weather event for granted. Have a plan and a backup plan.”

 

Homeowners associations and property management companies typically have long-term and short-term plans in place for their communities.

 

Hamil explained that the DI POA’s protocols include annual inspections and ongoing maintenance of the stormwater retention ponds to control flooding, tree pruning with attention to main thoroughfares and safe clearance on common areas and amenities, ensuring contractor and builders have a first priority response to pre- and post-weather events, and regularly updating residents on weather events and encouraging preparedness.

 

Hamil said, “In some large rain or hurricane events, there seems to be a potential for the city’s sewer to have issues in some of the older neighborhoods on Daniel Island. There is a lot of debris, and it takes the city/county time to remove it all, because they have a lot of space to cover with limited crews. In order to alleviate some of that, residents should regularly prune their landscape and hire a certified arborist annually to address large trees. The cost benefit seems better to be proactive than reactive in addressing hazardous limbs early that

could damage a home.”

 

Berkeley County Emergency Management advises homeowners to prepare their homes in advance. They suggest having your roof inspected and making any necessary repairs before a storm hits, inspecting your windows and the seals around them, installing hurricane shutters or keeping plywood in your garage to cover windows before a storm, checking the seals around your garage door and making any repairs or replacements necessary.

 

BCEM recommends that prior to a storm, bring in any loose items in your yard, such as trampolines, patio furniture and yard decorations.

 

For more information, view the complete SCEMD Hurricane Guide at Hurricane.sc and Berkeley County Hurricane Guide at berkeleycountysc.gov.

 

Bacon experienced a total loss as a result of Hurricane Hugo and scrambled to find a place to live. He noted that property damage was enormous and people were homeless for months. He urges safety first, “If you feel that you should evacuate, do so as early as possible.”

 

Take steps now so you are prepared if a storm comes.

 

Hurricane Preparedness Checklists