CHARLESTON HURRICANE SEASON
Hurricane season in Charleston begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The peak season is typically August-October.
HURRICANE CATEGORIES
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale is used to classify hurricanes that exceed the intensities of tropical storms. There are five categories that are based on the intensity of the storms winds. The categories are often indicative of the estimated property damage that the storm could cause.
CATEGORY 1: Winds 74-95mph
CATEGORY 2: Winds 96-110mph
CATEGORY 3: Winds 111-129mph
CATEGORY 4: Winds 130-156mph
CATEGORY 5: Winds 150mph or higher
The video below courtesy of The Weather Channel shows the differences in each category.
PREPPING FOR A HURRICANE
Be prepared & stay prepared! Download the free Hurricane Checklist & stock up on necessities!
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PREPPING OUTSIDE YOUR HOME FOR A HURRICANE
When prepping the outside of your home before the storm hits, here are a few things to do.
- Stow away all outdoor furniture. You don’t want any loose items outside of your home as it can be picked up by wind.
- Close shutters before the storm hit.
- Use sandbags to help divert water away from openings.
- Putting plywood over windows can help minimize the risk of broken windows due to wind & debris.
PREPARE FOR YOUR PETS
When getting ready for a hurricane there are a lot of things to consider and gathering essentials for your pet is one of them! If you plan on evacuating your home, please be sure to take your pet with you – there is a chance it could be days or even longer before you are able to get back to your home if disaster strikes. Leaving your pet stranded could be fatal for them.
If you are not evacuating be sure to bring your pet indoors during the storm. If there are any items outside such as a dog house, cages, etc., be sure to secure them or store them out of harms way.
At minimum, here are the items you’ll want to have ready to go for your pet kit:
- Pet food for up to 7 days
- Food & water bowls if traveling
- The humane society recommends at least 1 gallon of water per pet for at least 5 days
- Any medications & important medical records for your pet
- Collar with tag that has contact information in case you get separated from your pet
- Leashes
- Crates & carriers for transporting
- Bags for pet waste, cat litter & scoops, etc.
- Photo of your pet should you get separated
Additional helpful items that you may want to consider having on hand would be:
- Grooming items
- Blankets/towels for your pet
- Bedding dependent on pets needs
- Toys, chews, treats & other items that will help occupy your pet
If you are evacuating, make sure that the hotel allows pets. Not all hotels are required to accept pets, even in the case of a hurricane & some lodging may put restrictions on the number of pets & the type of pet they may permit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED HURRICANE QUESTIONS
What does mandatory evacuation mean?
In any area that there is a mandatory evacuation issued, it means that schools, government offices & businesses will be closed. In most cases, evacuation routes have been set & in some cases highways will be closed off to inbound traffic to allow for outbound traffic to use all lanes.
Do I really have to leave? While you don’t actually have to leave your home in the case of a mandatory evacuation – it is always advisable to follow emergency officials guidelines. If you choose to stay during a mandatory evacuation know that you are likely going to have to be self sufficient for about 72 hours after the storm.
It’s important to know that during a mandatory evacuation public officials are not required to respond to any calls in mandatory evacuation areas and will not risk lives to respond to calls.
