Preparing for Hurricanes in West Palm Beach

There are some hurricanes that require evacuation. When a hurricane requires an evacuation, there is only one thing to do. Leave. For all of the hurricanes that don’t require you to evacuate, there is much more that can be done in terms of preparation. The spectrum ranges all the way from having emergency bags packed to the type of insurance that you need to purchase in order to guarantee that your home is protected.

First and foremost, getting the right type of insurance is crucial when it comes to living in South Florida. Hurricanes are something that happens fairly frequently, and having your belongings insured is one of the smartest things to do. Also, it is beneficial to know about the elevation level of your home, and how prone to flooding your area is. On top of that, any knowledge that you can gain about hurricanes and your surroundings is beneficial. You can never have too much knowledge. One thing that is universal no matter the category of hurricane, is an emergency bag. An emergency bag should contain, fresh water, nonperishable food items, either a hand cranked or battery powered radio, flash light, extra batteries, first aid kit, a whistle, a manual can opener, and items for personal hygiene and sanitation.

For a category one hurricane, the danger is not extreme. Wind speeds can get up to 95 miles per hour, but there is typically little to no structural damage to buildings. Most of the damage is to trees, mobile homes, and piers. Although shutters may not be necessary during a category one hurricane, it doesn’t hurt to put them up. They help protect from wind, and flying debris, and you can never be too careful. On top of the hurricane shutters, and emergency bag should be packed.

A category two hurricane is a bit more sever, but still not considered a major hurricane. With a category two hurricane, there is more structural damage done to buildings, and a considerable amount of damage done to shrubbery and signs. The wind speeds can get up to 100 miles per hour, which can cause a lot of damage if a house is not boarded up properly. Again, an emergency bag should be packed.

A category three hurricane is considered major. Wind speeds can get up to 130 miles per hour, and it can generate a storm surge of up to twelve feet. With a category three there is a much larger amount of damage done. Anything that is on the coast that is not a major structure is pretty much obliterated, and any land that is lower than five feet above average sea level can flood all the way up to eight miles inland. At this point, hurricane shutters are an absolute requirement. Emergency bags should be packed, bath tubs should be filled up so that toilets can be flushed, and you should brace yourself for a power outage and plan accordingly.

Category four is where things start getting devastated. Wind speeds can get up to 155 miles per hour, and things start getting destroyed. At this intensity, mobile homes are completely destroyed, lower levels of building on the coast can get flooded and damaged, and land that is lower than ten feet above average sea level can flood all the way six miles inland. At this point, houses need to be completely boarded up, an emergency bag should be packed, everyone should be in one room, and all precautionary measures should be taken.

In West Palm Beach, if there is a category five hurricane coming, leave. West Palm Beach would not be safe because it is on the coast, and during a category five flooding can go very far inland. Category five hurricanes are very dangerous and should not be taken lightly.