PLANNING FOR AN ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON BY KELLY ODEN
he 2022 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and experts are predicting a 65 percent chance for abovenormal activity. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting 14 to 21 named storms, of which six to 19 could reach hurricane status. The forecast also says that three to 6 of those hurricanes could become major hurricanes with wind speeds of 74 mph or higher. Those of us who call the Gulf Coast home likely know the importance of preparing our homes and our lives for hurricane season (although reminders can never hurt!), but with the influx of new residents in recent years, we felt it was a good time to review some basic hurricane preparedness tips for the 2022 season. We talked with Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins to learn more about how residents can prepare now to stay safe
in the event of a hurricane or major storm in the future. Tompkins emphasized that weather awareness is key going into hurricane season. “As soon as that cone of uncertainty shows up in the Gulf, we all have to be paying attention to what that storm is going to do and where it could be landing,” he said. “Weather awareness is the number one thing. As soon as you see that cone in the Gulf, that is when you need to start preparing.” Tompkins explained that Escambia County Emergency Management is encouraging residents to focus on three major points in their hurricane planning: Know Your Zone, Know Your Home and Know Your Plan.
KNOW YOUR ZONE Evacuation zones are in place to protect citizens from deadly storm surges, Tompkins explained. It’s important to remember that each storm system is different and a smaller hurricane could potentially have a larger storm surge impact than that of a larger one. Tompkins urges all residents to heed evacuation orders for their safety. “We want to make sure that people understand that you run from the water and then you hide from the wind,” he said. “That storm surge is the main thing that people don’t understand. They just think, ‘Well, we are going to have this hurricane come in and the wind is going to blow really hard and we are going to get a lot of rain.’ But that’s not what kills people. It’s the storm surge that kills people. So, when we ask for people to
evacuate, we’re serious about that. The evacuation level ‘A’, for instance, that surge can get up to seven feet high. All homes that are not prepared for that and people that didn’t evacuate don’t always understand that we can’t come and get them until that storm surge has receded.” Escambia County’s evacuation zones run from A to E, with E having the highest potential for dangerous surge levels of up to 20 above ground level. Residents can visit myescambia. com/knowyourzone to enter their address and find their evacuation zone. Even if you think you know your zone, it’s important to look it up every year because zones do change.
KNOW YOUR HOME As a homeowner, you know your home best. Did your home receive damage in previous storms? What are its weak spots? PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 19
