Hurricane Season Is Approaching

Natural Disasters are becoming more frequent and larger in scale. Today every part of the world worries about some type of natural disaster damaging their communities and homes, and for some, the natural disasters strike with little or no warning signs, like an earthquake or wildfire.

Experts track and monitor hurricanes grow and move across the ocean, but the level of destruction remains unclear until the hurricane hits land.

Hurricane 101

A hurricane forms in the middle of the ocean as a tropical storm when winds exceed 39 miles per hour. As the storm continues to grow, using warm water as its fuel, the storm transforms into a hurricane when winds reach 79 miles per hour. From there, experts label a hurricane’s category based on the storm’s wind speed.

 

Since the late 1980’s, there has been an increase in Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes. The exact reason for this increase is a highly debated topic.

One of the most well known arguments is global warming and climate change.  While there’s no proof climate change is causing the rise in hurricanes, the rising number of hurricanes and high temperatures correlate. Experts believe human activities may have already caused changes that are currently undetectable. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, human made climate change can increase the chances of severe weather.

Because hurricanes are natural events and global warming is only rising, scientists cannot currently measure the correlation accurately. What they do know is ocean temperatures have been warming since the late 1970’s and warm ocean waters fuel hurricanes.

How Skyline DKI Plays a Role

Skyline DKI began traveling to locations impacted by hurricanes in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. Since then, Skyline traveled for Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and both Hurricane Irma and Harvey in 2017.

At Skyline, the team spends all of hurricane season ready to travel and help. Similar to how athletes train during their offseason to enhance their skills, Skyline spends the months leading up to hurricane season preparing. Throughout Skyline’s offseason, the team is buying and prepping equipment, streamlining processes and training employees to ensure they are ready to help hurricane victims.

Skyline also collaborates with fellow DKI companies, planning their processes. They also expand their network by working with other restoration companies and teaching them how to successfully travel to hurricane sites.

Despite advanced radar and expert meteorologists, a hurricane’s path is never certain. Once experts are positive landfall is imminent, Skyline teams begin staging in areas with projected impact. Many times, storms change course last minute or downgrade faster than originally anticipated. As a result, crews are forced to regroup and head to new locations at a moment’s notice.

After the hurricane ceases, the team drives to the affected areas to offer relief. Skyline offers help with the drying process, cleaning up the area and providing temporary relief for victims.

In the past, Skyline also helped organize community events, barbeques, and even a town revival to help feed the effected towns.

At times, it can be a struggle finding qualified help in effected areas, which is the main reason Skyline spends so much time preparing in the months leading up to hurricane season.

2018 Hurricane Season

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, while the Pacific hurricane season had already been in motion since mid-May.

As previously mentioned, hurricanes need warm water to grow. Currently, the main development center for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean is seeing cooler than usual temperatures, but the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration still predicts a near- or above-average Atlantic hurricane season for 2018.

 

Whether or not the predictions are true, the outcome for the 2018 hurricane season remains uncertain.  Hurricane systems can affect weather patterns in areas not even close to the impact, so it’s important everyone, no matter where they live, prepares. Restoration companies should be ready to offer resources, equipment, labor and clerical help from their offices. Members of the public should find established relief organizations. When a hurricane strikes, those organizations are some great resources to look towards after a storm. They’ll connect the public with ways to donate money, blood and materials.