1. Will this be a busy hurricane season?
NOAA is forecasting an average season for 2009. Specifically, NOAA is predicting nine to 14 named storms, with four to seven becoming hurricanes, and one to three reaching Category 3 or more on the Saffir-Simpson scale. We are noticing a weakening La Nina, and possibly an El Nino by summer. Ocean temperatures are also cooler than normal.
2. Will my portable television work after June 12's digital television conversion?
Unfortunately, no. Since the digital switch, retailer have made digital portable televisions readily available for a little more than $100.
3. What can I do with my propane tank?
There's not an easy answer, since it is too dangerous to take inside your home, and the hurricane winds could grab it outside. Some viewers bury their tanks in the sand in their backyard for protection.
4. My sliding glass doors blew off the track in hurricane Wilma. Should I crack open a window to equalize the pressure?
No. Every door and window should be protected with a hurricane shutter or hurricane glass. Do not open windows and doors, even a crack.
5. If there was one piece of advice who could give to prepare, what would it be?
Make a hurricane plan. Decide right now if you are going to stay or evacuate, and if you decide to leave, pick a place now where you will go. Preferably this is a place inland but in the same or neighboring count of where you live.
6. Should I tape my windows?
No, this is an old wife's tale that still sticks around today. Tape will not help protect your home or family.
7. Am I safe near the ocean if I'm high up in a condo?
No. Studies have shown the winds 10-15 stories up are 10% stronger. A 100mph wind at the surface would be much stronger in a high rise building. That's one reason windows tend to blow out in tall buildings.
8. Why don't we weaken hurricanes with chemicals?
The problem is that the hurricane is almost the size of Florida. It would take hundreds or airplanes flying 24 hours a day to have any impact at all, and that's not even guaranteed. The better solution is to build hurricane resistant homes.
9. I need to find a safe room in my home, but every room has a window. What should I do?
Pick the best room, with the smallest window as your safe room. Preferably a closet or bathroom on the lowest level of your home. Sometimes picking a safe room is about trade offs, especially in a smaller house.
10. Should I protect the outside attic vents with a hurricane shutter?
This is not essential, but it's not a bad idea. Many homes had water damage from the rains of Frances and Jeanne, as the wind blew the water sideways into the attic. That water then ruined ceilings and walls.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS from other related sites:
Solida Waste Authority
National Hurricane Center
Florida Power & Light
Hurricane Hunters
