< Previous40 | The Daily News | Hurricane Preparedness | 2022 HURRICANE ANATOMY OF A Hurricanes are born in the steamy late-summer environment of the tropics when rapidly evaporating ocean waters combine with strong wind currents. Several hundred miles wide and packing winds of more than 100 mph, hurricanes cool the Earth by sucking heat from the Earth’s surface and drawing it into the upper atmosphere (above 40,000 feet). EXHAUST Hot air is drawn into the atmosphere SPIRALING STORM CLOUDS EYE WALL Storm’s fiercest winds EYE Cool air descends into the 20-mile-wide eye, creating a small center of calm weather SPIRALING WINDS SPIN COUNTER- CLOCKWISE In the lower few thousand feet of the hurricane, air flows in toward the center and whirls upward. These spiraling winds gain speed as they approach the central eye, just as currents do in a whirlpool. The narrower the eye, the stronger the winds. HIGH WINDS SOURCE: The National Hurricane Center AP Illustrations SOUTH AMERICA U.S. ATLANTIC OCEAN AFRICA WARM WATERS HURRICANE BREEDING GROUNDS2022 | Hurricane Preparedness | The Daily News | 41 HURRICANE INTENSITY Any storm of Category 3 or more is considered major. SOURCE: The National Hurricane Center AP Illustrations CATEGORY1 74-95 mph Damage primarily to trees and unanchored mobile homes; some coastal flooding CATEGORY2 96-110 mph Some damage to roofs, doors, windows, trees and shrubbery; flooding damage to piers CATEGORY3 111-130 mph Some structural damage; large trees blown down; flooding near shoreline and possibly inland; mobile homes destroyed CATEGORY4 131-155 mph Extensive damage to doors and windows; major damage to lower floors near shore; terrain may be flooded well inland CATEGORY5 155+ mph Complete roof failure and some building failures; massive evacuation; flooding causes major damage to lower floors of all shoreline buldings KNOW THE TERMS • Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with minimum sustained wind speed of 74 mph or higher. • Hurricane season: The portion of the year having a relatively high incidence of hurricanes. The hurricane sea- son in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. • Saffir-Simpson Scale*: Cate- gories of hurricanes based on sustained wind speeds. Storm categories do not correlate to the severity of the storm’s impact on land. • Storm surge: An abnormal rise in sea level that sweeps along the coast near the eye of hurricane landfall. Storm surg- es can reach 25 feet high and be 50-1,000 miles wide. Storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property during a hurricane. • Tropical storm: A tropical cy- clone with minimum sustained wind speed of 39-73 mph. • Tropical storm/hurricane watch: Tropical storm/hurri- cane conditions pose a threat to watch area within 48 hours. • Tropical Storm/hurricane warning: Tropical storm/hurri- cane conditions are expected within 36 hours. *Remember: Storm categories only account for wind speed. Low category hurricanes can be more devastating to life and property than high category storms because of the associ- ated storm surge. Please act on the advice from local officials. SOURCES: City of Galveston, FEMAwww.heffernaninsuranceagency.com HEFFERNAN INSURANCE AGENCY 1703 Tremont Galveston, TX 77550 409-765-9011 HOMEOWNER • WINDSTORM FLOOD • FIRE • AUTO COMMERCIAL • BONDS ROOFING & REPAIRS Protect and beautify your home with the best in the business. Hurricane Season is here! Call the people you can trust. Licensed and Bonded Locally Owned for Over 30 Years 409-762-8068 office@morganroofingtexas.com morganroofingtexas.com Morgan Roofing, LLC Galveston’s #1 Roofing Company With a Reliable Electrician • Licensed, Insured & Bonded • Free Written Estimates • All Work Guaranteed Hatch Electric, located in Texas City, is a full service electrical contracting company. We are dedicated to making sure each job is done correctly, on time, and at a fair price. We look forward to working with you... Serving Galveston County Since 1989 dddst@aol.com • TECL #17537 hatchelectric.net 409-948-6308 H atcH E lEctric 42 | The Daily News | Hurricane Preparedness | 2022From staff reports P eople with trucks and SUVs were feeling vindicated after Hur- ricane Ike when roads that weren’t covered with water were covered with mud. But even people in Jeeps with snorkel kits attached were driving around on four weak links — the tires. One thing that was not in short supply after Ike was nails, wood screws, weird springs and all manner of other debris that can pene- trate a steel-belted tire. So, unless you’ve invested the several thousand dollars it takes to get run-flat tires like the U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad, you’re going to have to be able to fix a flat. Some people swear by that injectable foam. Others just don’t trust it and opt in- stead for an emergency plug kit. They sell for about $5 at most auto parts stores and consist of a knurled spike to bore out the hole for a plug, a big needle for pushing the plug into the hole and the plugs — strips of rubber or leather coated in glue. An advantage of the plugs, and the foam, is that you can fix the flat without taking the wheel off the car or the tire off the wheel. An then there’s the air. Don’t count on finding a working compressor after the water recedes. To be safe, buy a portable com- pressor that charges off a car system. They cost between $50 and $150 and models are available from auto parts stores. Some also will jump-start a car, charge a cellphone and provide an emergency light. Debris-strewn roads no problem The Daily News file photos ABOVE: High water covers the Interstate 45 frontage road near Omega Bay in the aftermath of Hurricane Nicholas on Sept. 14, 2021. BELOW: Debris is piled on both sides of Old Bayou Drive in Dickinson on Sept. 22, 2017. Both sides of the road were severely flooded by Dickinson Bayou during Hurricane Harvey. 2022 | Hurricane Preparedness | The Daily News | 43Did you know we rent, sell and repair generators? ARE YOU HURRICANE READY? 409-740-1000 8435 Stewart Rd / Galveston, TX 77554 We also carry water pumps, dehumidifiers, fans, chainsaws, ladders and more!!! The Jesse Tree, P.O. Box 575, Galveston, TX 77553 www.jessetree.net | Find us on FaceBook Connecting | Rebuilding | Uplifting EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION Returning after a natural disaster can be disastrous! Some points to remember: THE JESSE TREE SUGGESTS HURRICANE/NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Ted Hanley, Executive Director • David W. Mitchell, Director of Programs and Services • (409) 762 - 2233 • Do not use water until you receive official notice it is safe to drink; use bottled water only. • Do not use food that sat in the refrigerator without electricity, • Streets will be filled with debris; debris has often been covered with sewage and may be germ-ridden. Dust, sand and decaying vegetation, molds and mildew can cause severe respiratory problems. Masks should be worn at all times. • Driving will be dangerous and should be kept to a minimum; vehicles should be kept off the streets to allow for cleaning and emergency vehicles, • Pockets of floodwater may remain; insect and snakes may hide in these pools; • Structures and trees that were damaged during the storm may fall in the aftermath, look carefully before waking near large trees or buildings. • Loose and dangling powerlines may electrocute. • Using candles to light a home can easily cause fires; it is safer to use batter powered lanterns and lights. • If cellphone towers are down, power may be sporadic or unavailable. Power outages may make it impossible to charge phones (have a car charger!) • Keep a battery operated radio to listen to updates and news. • Listen to local authorities for correct after-storm information, • People with chronic medical conditions, senior citizens and small children should be extremely careful to avoid heat related illnesses, heat exhaustion and dehydration which are common in the aftermath of storms. The signs of these problems include; heavy perspiration. Paleness, muscle cramps and fatigue.weakness and/or dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fainting; Skin: may be cool and moist; Pulse rate: fast and weak; Breathing: fast and shallow. Seek medical help immediately. • Wear light, loose clothing, use sunblock to prevent sunburn; if feeling overheated, take a cool shower, slowly drink cool. Non-alcoholic beverages, • Those with known health conditions keep a close eye on your temperature, glucose level, blood pressure, etc. SERVICE SPECIAL With This Ad expires 12-31-22 We are here for you when you need us! AFFORDABLE AIR & HEAT SERVICING YOUR CITY SINCE 1994! 44 | The Daily News | Hurricane Preparedness | 20222022 | Hurricane Preparedness | The Daily News | 45 How to deal with mold contamination From staff reports M old, contaminated soil, infections and respiratory ills may lie in wait after a hur- ricane, physicians say. But if you find yourself needing to clean up and muck out after a hurricane, just slap the mosquitoes aside, slide on some gloves, a mask and with proper precautions, keep on working, they advise. Here’s a roundup of ad- vice gathered in 2009 from medical experts eyeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ike: CONTAMINATED SOIL Organisms living in soil contaminated by bacteria and human waste can be transmitted hand to hand or hand to mouth and can lead to Hepatitis A, tetanus or other infections. Wear gloves; avoid touch- ing your mouth and eyes; wash hands or use hand sanitizers frequently; wear rubber boots and get a teta- nus shot. MOLDS AND FUNGUS They’ll range in color from dirty white to greenish to black. Waterlogged, damaged items should be discarded. But clothing or upholstery that isn’t waterlogged might be reclaimed with cleaning or dry cleaning. Hard surfaces can be wiped down with a bleach or alcohol solution. Sentimental photographs, jewelry and other items can be cleaned and dried. Waterlogged carpet and Sheetrock should be discard- ed. Mold will grow in the wall cavities, so they must be exposed. Wear a mask that will fil- ter out fungus for that kind of work. Stay out of poor- ly ventilated areas where cleaning produces strong fumes. Get enough sleep and rest. A persistent cough, partic- ularly when exerting oneself or when it causes you to wake in the middle of the night, should prompt a call to the doctor. The Daily News file photo Carter Eisinger, left, and Calvin Anderson gather insulation to throw out of a house on Blue Water Lane in Dickinson after Hurricane Harvey.SERVING THE TEXAS GULF COAST 281-534-4585 www.HoustonHurricane.com 5102 Hwy. 3 • Dickinson, TX 77539 Fortifying Home & Business since 2009 Roll Down Shutters Hurricane ScreensBahama Shutters Hurricane Panels L aw o ffices o f 1411 39th Street, Galveston, TX 409-744-0816 susan@edmonsonlaw.com Board Certified Family Law – TBLS Family Law Wills & Probates John Weldon • 409-737-2731 johnweldon1962@outlook.com “Customize Your Home” Backyard Projects Siding & WindowsRemodeling/Renovations Custom Beach Homes Sherri Short BROKER Associate 46 | The Daily News | Hurricane Preparedness | 2022HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS INCLUDES INSURANCE Having a windstorm policy is crucial before a hurricane hits. Check with your agent to see what windstorm policy is right for you. Insurance Question Checklist: Do you have both windstorm and flood insurance? Do you know your deductible and coverage amount? Do you know how to report a claim? You are not required to have a TWIA policy. But we’re here to help if you need us. For more information visit: www.twia.org/galvestonRobbie Nelson – Broker / Owner ABR®, CRS, GRI, TRLP Direct: (409) 739-7641 Office: (409) 927-1764 or (832) 680-1517 4111 FM 1764 Ste C, Santa Fe, TX 77517 robbie@robbienelson.com www.crossroadsrealtytx.com www.robbienelson.com CALL ROBBIE. GET SOLD . www.robbienelson.com Each Office is Independently Owned and OperatedNext >