For the National Weather Service Meteorologist in Charge John Metz, tracking storms is something that is always in season.
Hurricane season is here. It鈥檚 important to know how to track a storm and when to begin making preparations to evacuate should a storm be heading your way.
Public notifications go out to those potentially in a hurricane鈥檚 path throughout the season in order to give people an idea of when to put their plans into action.
One of the biggest things to watch for during hurricane season is the hurricane watch. If you鈥檙e in an area where a hurricane watch has been placed, then you are 48 hours away from the storm moving into your community, Metz said.
When you are in a hurricane watch it is best to already have your evacuation plan ready. The best time to prepare for a storm is when there is no incoming storm.
Metz recommends loading up on supplies now while there are plenty of resources available.
If you want to get ahead of any potential incoming storm the Tropical Weather Outlook provided by the National Weather Service is the tool Metz recommends for tracking activity in the tropics throughout the hurricane season.
If a storm is coming in and it looks like you are in the path of the storm, one of the best things you can do is check and see if you are at high risk of storm surge. The storm surge is often the most dangerous part of the storm and can cause massive damage if you鈥檙e not properly prepared.
When preparing your property for a storm surge, Metz said the most important thing is making sure the wind from the storm stays outside of your home. If the wind is able to get inside then the full force of the storm will enter your home and that is how houses get destroyed from the inside.
When preparing for the storm, make sure you are doing all of the right things to keep the storm out of your home. Storm shutters over the windows is the best way to go about this, but boarding the windows with plywood is effective as well. Having one of these options on hand in the home prior to the storm is ideal to be best prepared.
When you are ready to evacuate, it is best to already have a plan in place. Know where you鈥檙e going to go and how you鈥檙e going to get there before the storm is imminent.
Metz said that monitoring activity early, identifying the risk of storm surge in your area, preparing your property properly, shopping for emergency supplies now and planning your evacuation ahead of time is the best way to make sure you and your family are able to stay safe during this hurricane season.
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