Is the Spring Spate of Storms a Predictor of a Horrid Hurricane Season?

The devastation caused by this spring’s tornadoes is historic. We will have the pictures and video of post-storm Tuscaloosa and Joplin embedded in our memories for years to come with words seemingly inadequate to describe what remains of portions of those two cities and the lives forever altered. Other, less remarkable tornadoes also touched down and hailstorms breached the peace of rural America.

Midwest rivers, including the Mississippi and the Missouri, continue to crest at levels not seen in decades and property losses are beyond our ability to comprehend them. Too much water from storms and snow melting plagues even the Dakotas this year!

According to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announcement, today (June 1) is the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season. The agency is prepared to help states in hurricane-prone areas but calls on citizens to prepare the businesses and homes for a busy season too. A consensus forecast indicates that there may be 16 tropical storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 intense hurricanes between now and November 30^th.

Hurricanes can cause damage in a variety of ways. Hurricane winds, tornados spawned after landfall, floods from rainfall, and surges of coastal waters can buffet any structure near their paths.

All Americans should know that floods are the nation’s number 1 natural disaster. They can happen in any state, and the country’s average annual loss from them during the past 10 years was more than $2.7 billion! FEMA reminds us that floods can ruin property and damage lives even when the federal government does not declare a disaster and urges residents to purchase flood insurance because most homeowner policies do not cover flood damage.

But that’s not the whole story. Insurance can pay for the replacement of a home, furniture, and fixtures, but it cannot replace one-of-a-kind objects or things of sentimental value like photographs, family bibles, special awards, and the like. As part of your preparation for this hurricane season, visit FEMA’s Hurricane Preparedness web pages to get the most up-to-date information for you and your family. As you make your plans for evacuation, remember those special things that mean so much to you. For more ideas on what you might miss, visit our website for a checklist of important things.