Although it may sound repetitive, there really is no better advice than to “always be prepared” or to “stay tuned to updates” during hurricane season.
As First Coast News reports, these tips held true in early October of 2018 when Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle as a powerful, very dangerous category 5 storm.
Throughout the National Hurricane Center’s early discussions, two key messages remained consistent: “always be prepared” and “stay tuned to updates.”
As we all know, the intensity of the storm that made landfall was far worse than predicted. However, landfall predictions were quite impressive from the get-go. In fact, Michael’s eye swept over Mexico Beach in the Florida Panhandle, which was only 60 miles from the initial forecast.
Having winds of 156+ mph., Hurricane Michael’s damage was unmatched for Mexico Beach and several people lost their lives.
So, what lessons can we take away from this storm? How can we be better prepared and ensure that lives will not be lost in the event of another “Michael?”
- Storms like Hurricane Michael can increase in intensity very quickly.
- Play close attention to initial messaging for every storm whether it’s a cyclone or a hurricane.
- Hurricane can cause injuries and damage hundreds of miles away from the point of landfall.
- If you’re in an evacuation zone, closely monitor the news for official orders and leave immediately.
- Have a back-up plan for communication.
As the list of lessons goes on, there are two things everything always leads to: “always be prepared” and “stay tuned to updates.”
