Preparation for Hurricanes - Table of Contents

Hurricane Preparation - Welcome and introduction to Preparation for hurricanes

Hurricane Information - Page two of preparation for hurricanes will introduce you to how a hurricane differs from a typhoon or cyclone and describes just what a hurricane is.

Hurricane Category - Page three of preparation for hurricanes will discuss all the various hurricane categories and exactly what each category means.

Hurricane Storm - Page four of preparation for hurricanes will discuss the differences between a hurricane watch and a hurricane storm warning, and will introduce you to the importance of preparation.

Prepare for hurricane – Prepare for hurricane is page five of Preparation for hurricanes, and talks about important hurricane preparation measures such as boarding up your home, gathering lots of water, buying a first aid kit and much more.

Hurricane Prep – Page five of preparation for hurricanes will discuss more great preparation you can do before the hurricane, such as finding a can opener, extra clothing, and keeping a dry bag for medications and proof of residence, etc.

After the Hurricane – Is page 7 and the final page of preparation for hurricanes. This section will provide you with information on what to expect after the hurricane.

Hurricane Camille - Hurricane Preparatoin and information

Hurricane Camille - The entire story

Hurricane Camille, a Saffir/Simpson Category 5 storm, was the worst hurricane to ever hit the US Gulf Coast in the twentieth century. It first hit land in the U.S. August 17, 1969 but continued to plague the country for 2 more days, taking many by surprise, causing death and destruction of billions of dollars in its path.

This most significant event in the history of the 20th century in the US deserves to be remembered, not only as a category 5 Hurricane causing significant deaths and economic devastation, but also as an important teaching event. The lessons learned could help save lives and livelihoods, neighbors and neighborhoods for future generations.

Forecast

It was first identified as a tropical wave near the coast of Africa on August 5, 1969. Five days later on August 14, Camille was upgraded to a tropical storm, located 480 miles south of Miami. As it moved toward Cuba it gained momentum, with winds reaching 115 mph, weakening slightly over Cuba with winds at 92 mph and releasing 10 inches of rain. As it headed toward the mouth of the Mississippi river, hurricane watches and warnings were issued in the Florida panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi coasts up to Biloxi, then expanded to New Orleans and Grand Isle. A last reconnaissance flight was made on Sunday August 17 in the afternoon, where the winds were clocked at 200mph at the center. The storm at its peak extended 60 miles from the center with gales up to 180 miles. No hurricane of this magnitude had hit the US in the 20th century. Because of this flight, the intensity and magnitude of this hurricane was known, and tens of thousands of lives were saved.

The evacuation

The evacuation process was flawed as the exact location and magnitude of the hurricane where not known until Sunday afternoon. At that time, approximately half of the residents in the affected areas were evacuated. 18 hours before the landfall, people began boarding up their homes and trickling out of the area. As the threat became clearer, people flooded the highways with few belongings. A few hours prior to landfall, bridges were flooded, making evacuation impossible. Confusion existed between the forecasters and the public, as the latter relied on television, radio and personal communication with other people as primary information sources. The media had different accounts of the hurricane’s path and urgency to evacuate, providing conflicting information that at times was inaccurate or out-of-date.

Hurricane Camille Timeline and Damage

Hurricane Camille made landfall near midnight in the Bay St. Louis area. The volume of water was more than 3 x the flood discharge expected on the Jourdan River on the average of once in 50 years, estimated to be 90,000 cfs. Pass Christian, and portions of Biloxi and Long Beach were flooded. People scrambled to the highest points in their homes, churches or work areas. Sea vessels were pushed inland. 150 people died on the storm’s passage along the Gulf.

The storm lost strength as it headed to the northern Mississippi border, being downgraded to a tropical storm with wind gusts up to 67 mph. As it reached Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio it hit large masses of moisture, and Tuesday, August 19, created record flooding in Virginia’s James River watershed. It rained for over 8 hours, creating more than 10 inches of rain accumulation near Clifton Forge, Virginia. The rain, flash floods and landslides created the worst natural disaster ever in Virginia. As most people slept, roads and communication lines were destroyed, offering little chance for warning and evacuation. Large trees plundered, streams rose and people were trapped in their devastated houses. 107 deaths and 102 injuries were attributed to this flooding. Only one highway in the state of Virginia was intact. 133 bridges were affected as well as most primary and secondary roads with damage at 19 million dollars.

Economic downfall

The immediate damages, relief costs and recovery costs from Hurricane Camille were immense. Immediate damage includes individual private property damage, public property damage ex. Churches and schools, damage to vehicles and machinery, infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Relief costs included emergency services during and immediately after the hurricane, including housing. Recovery costs included funds to rebuild roads and infrastructure, farms, homes and industries, lost revenue to taxes which was ongoing for several years. A total cost of Hurricane Camille exceeded 1.12 billion dollars, valued in 1969 dollars.

More than 5000 mobile homes were provided and 16,500 military personnel were dispatched to the area. Enormous reconstruction efforts lasted for years. Aid was provided b the American Red Cross. Defense, Commerce and Economic Development branches of the government assisted in the recovery phase. There was a growing pest problem of flies and mosquitoes.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was in its infancy, thus people’s properties were not covered. 20% of flood damaged properties were covered by private insurance.

Consequences - The total damage caused by Hurricane Camille

More than 257 deaths, innumerable injuries and billions of dollars (over 1.12 billion) in damage were the direct result of Hurricane Camille.

Three barrier islands off the coast separating the Mississippi Sound from the Gulf of Mexico, were devastated: two islands lost more than 300 acres to erosion, and the third, was breached.

Immediately following Hurricane Camille, the Weather Bureau with the Department of Defense began a study of ways to better predict the direction and intensity of hurricanes. This study was spurred by Vice President Agnew's statement that Hurricane Camille forecasting may have been inadequate.

What is different today?

More people inhabit the hurricane-prone regions of the United States, as wealth has increased and people have moved to the coast. Estimated financial costs of a hurricane today approach 100 billion dollars.

Homes are constructed with improved building practices, although no one uniform building code with hurricane-related conditions has been accepted by the coastal communities. Should such a code have been implemented prior to Hurricane Camille, damages would have been less. A portion of land was re-zoned for commercial or public use such as beaches, zoos, marinas and amusement parks. This was to decrease the density of the population in the affected areas.

We have better access to satellite and up-to-date reliable sources of communication with access to the internet and agencies such as the National Hurricane Center. We also, unfortunately have had even more experience with Hurricanes, notably Katrina.

The National Flood Insurance Program exists today, providing assistance to affected families.

Lessons learned

Detailed by Pielke and Pielke (1997)

1. Hurricanes are the most costly of natural disasters around the world. Hurricane Camille was the most costly at its time. Certainly Hurricanes Andrew (1992) and Katrina (2005) have reminded us of this fact.
2. Hurricane damages are dramatically increasing, because of the nation’s growth along the coastal areas.
3. A large loss of life is a distinct possibility. Although we have improved satellite and communications available, the number of people in the coastal regions has grown exponentially.
4. Improved forecasting is available and will continue to improve, but we have to use them effectively. We now have a longer lead time, up to 24 hours vs. 18 hours.
5. Climate varies across time. Hurricanes are said to follow decade long patterns. This makes predicting complicated. Are we ready for the next hurricane?
6. Better knowledge of hurricanes needs to be applied to make effective change. Society acknowledges need to improve responses to hurricane. How do we turn that knowledge into action and power?

Latest Hurricane Articles:

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