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Hurricane Preparedness for the 2019 Season

08:00 July 12, 2019
By: Jordan Selesnick

New Orleans is no stranger to hurricanes. Many of us are familiar with making evacuation plans in case of stormy weather. Some have even been known to fashion a raft or canoe as their fallback plan. Where Y'at is here to give you some information on how to avoid needing to craft a boat, and how to stay safe this hurricane season.

The National Hurricane Center will issue what they call "storm surge warnings" to notify all residents in a potential hurricane area. The storm surge is the time when it is no longer safe to remain in your home during high winds from a tropical cyclone. This is when evacuation becomes necessary. It generally means that there is mortal danger in storm surge areas for 36 hours. This may include the possibility of being trapped in flooded areas.

Check out the National Hurricane Center for updates on upcoming weather conditions. It will tell you whether or not storm surge is active, as well as any other important upcoming weather events.

A new feature that the National Hurricane Center has brought to the table for the 2019 hurricane season is the ability to anticipate the changing water levels. It predicts how much water is expected to rise above shore, and where this type of flooding will happen. This feature is helpful because it is so specific. Only those in the areas in danger will have to take action, so that all other residents may remain where they are while it is safe. The National Hurricane Center provides graphic images on their website to visualize the effects of storm surge.

As storms begin to approach the coast, the National Hurricane Center will be begin predicting the effects on their map. This means that whenever you're feeling scared or unsure, you can head over to their website to see what the possible effects may be at any given time. The maps are subject to change every six hours, so remember to stay updated to stay safe.

Keep this information in mind this summer. Thanks to this new technology, we can feel more comfortable in the rainy season. But let us not forget that the old-fashioned canoe has been known to save lives, too.

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