It’s never a good idea to get too comfortable during hurricane season in South Florida. There’s a reason we have the highest property insurance rates and risk in the country. Anyway, with Dorian, we’ll be looking for updates every three hours for at least the next few days.
From the National Hurricane Center’s Discussion points, we'll need to consider, "While uncertainty is high, wind and rain impacts are possible in the Bahamas and Florida later this week and this weekend. Residents in these areas should monitor the progress of Dorian and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place".
That’s perhaps even more inconvenient heading into Labor Day weekend but it’s important. Plus, it’s not because it appears as though Dorian is going to be a major wind event for us. It doesn’t have to be. The number one cause of death and damage in storms is flooding, something we’re already prone to, and the top cause of death in Florida in recent decades has come after the storm passes. That’s why that's just as important to plan for as protection from wind and water on the front end. We’ve been relatively fortunate in South Florida since the brutal 04’-05’ hurricane cycle. Remember, Irma was just a cat 1 hurricane for South-Eastern Florida and look at the extensive power outages and issues it caused. You also can’t judge a book by its cover. My family in Naples, three different homes, were in the direct path of Irma as a cat four. All four of them had power three days sooner than I did. Planning for power outages and the unknown can make life far more comfortable and potentially lifesaving in the most dangerous situations. Heed the Hurricane Center’s advice. We tend to pay the most attention to wind speed, but it often isn’t the biggest issue we face with tropical systems.
Photo by: NOAA