Tropical Storm Emily Intensifies as it Churns Across Caribbean
Tropical storm Emily is the 5th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season and it was heading on a west-northwesterly path about 180 miles south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico Tuesday evening.
So far, Emily does not pose a risk to gas and oil production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico but conditions seem to indicate that the storm will grow stronger as it continues cutting its path through the Atlantic. Officials are saying that pinpointing the storm’s track is difficult so they are telling residents of Florida to keep an eye on the daily developments and to be sure that personal and business disaster kits and emergency plans are ready.
Emily has yet to be defined as a Category 1 hurricane which is the weakest type wherein damage typically leads to shattered windows and the destruction of older homes and roofs. Emily’s maximum wind speeds are at about 50 miles per hour. For a tropical storm to be classified as a Category 1 hurricane, it must consist of wind speeds of at least 74 miles per hour.
The development of Emily as the fifth named storm of the hurricane season is a reminder to people living in Florida that the time is here to secure their homes. Tropical storms tend to produce especially heavy rains and these rains can trigger flash floods which can wreak havoc on property. South Florida should prepare for the possibility of heavy rain and windy weather this coming weekend.
It is important for people in Florida to start planning their hurricane kits, evacuation routes and where they are planning to go, how they will get there and what they will do with pets if and when hurricanes move into the region. It is also important to know what you will do if you have elderly family members that need to be taken care of. Waiting until the last minute is never a good idea. Even though it may seem as though it may be a calm hurricane season with only five named storms thus far, people should know that 95% of all hurricanes occur after August 1st.
New residents of Florida tend not to understand the importance of planning for hurricane season or they simply have a tendency to downplay it. However, ask anyone who has lived through one and the first thing they will say is that they have plans and that they will leave if necessary. When prepping your evacuation routes, you should prepare for the worst-case scenario. You will need cash on hand as credit cards will be useless without power. You also should keep the gas tank on your vehicle filled up because gas stations will be closed when a hurricane is approaching. Many lessons were learned from Katrina, Ivan and Ike and the chances of more devastating hurricanes happening in Florida and along the southeastern US coastline is great – it is just a matter of when.
