A hurricane typically starts out as a tropical based storm,
with winds that reach speeds of 74 mph or more with torrential downpours. While Sandy did not present itself in this
way, it had the most dangerous element of a hurricane: storm surge. Storm surge is a dome of ocean
water that can reach 20 feet high at its peak along a coastline that can be
anywhere from 50-100 miles long. Nine
out of 10 hurricane fatalities are attributed to storm surge. Sandy was between 14 and 15 feet, but had it
hit a couple of weeks earlier or later, when the tides would have been at their
highest during the new moon, water levels could haven been much higher!
NYC is no stranger to storm surge. In 1821, a hurricane caused the East River to
converge into the Hudson River across lower Manhattan when 13 feet of tidewater
rose in one hour and inundated wharves.
The Hurricane of 1938 was a category 3 Hurricane whose eye crossed over
Long Island and into New England. Its
floods knocked out electrical power in all areas above 59th Street
in Manhattan and in all of the Bronx (and this was with NYC experiencing the
weaker “left side” of the storm!) Later on in 1954, Hurricane Carol caused
major flooding in the city despite the fact that the sustained winds of over
100 mph were 40 miles east of the city.
In 1960, Hurricane Donna created an 11foot storm tide in NY Harbor that
ended in extensive pier damage. Hurricane
Gloria (1985) could have been catastrophic had it arrived at high tide and been
just a little closer to the City. In 2011, Hurricane Irene was a precursor to
Sandy causing extensive flooding damage to homes along the Atlantic, and this
year we are being warned of more of the same.
Aside from heeding the advice of public officials and making
sure that you refer to one of the many Emergency Preparedness Lists that are
generated at this time of year, one of the most important steps you can take in
preparing yourself for a Hurricane is to make sure that you understand what you
are (and what you are not) covered for in your insurance. Considering the extreme weather pattern we are
in, and the fact that you do not need to live by the water to have a flood, it
is important to know that there is a 30 day waiting period from the time of
purchase of flood insurance. Another coverage worth considering ahead of time
is water back up. Despite the $5000 cap
applied to this claim, it is more likely to happen as our drainage systems
continue to age.
An excellent use of your time is to scan all of your
important documents onto a disc. This
way you are covered if you lose or misplace: your passport, birth certificate, drivers
license, marriage license, insurance card, titles (to your house, car, boat
and/or motorcycle), social security card, and financial statements (bank,
mortgage, credit card, stock & bond portfolio’s, or any other important
documentation that identifies you and your assets.)
Advance planning, in general, is key to how you will fare
after a disaster. If you take
prescriptive medication, consider getting an advance on a month’s supply as a precaution;
and take pre-loss photographs of your insured valuables which you can archive on the same disc as your
documents. Merchants may not be in a
position to make change for you without electricity so now is a good time to
create a stash pile for your small dollars and coins. If you have natural gas, consider getting a
quote on what it would cost to put in a generator. Having a generator for your clubhouse can provide
a comfortable place for your members to weather out the storm. Either way, there are camping supplies such
as a crank radio, solar/battery powered lanterns or battery operated phone
chargers that are good to have on hand. A
printout of phone numbers for your electrician, plumber, tree service,
carpenter, roofer and emergency restoration company are essential considering how
quickly they will book up. The same
thing applies to insurance adjusters so make sure that you have the phone
number of your insurance company and broker, along with your policy number’s handy
so your claim can get into the system as quickly as possible.
Many of these steps can be done once and carried over from
year to year. Research shows that making
preparations ahead of time can make the difference between life and death;
being comfortable vs. miserable; getting back to business or not. Katrina
showed us that our government cannot come to our rescue as easily as we would like. The better that we can take care of
ourselves, the greater chance we have of surviving a large scale disaster. Despite it’s devastation, Sandy was NOT the Category
2 Hurricane that the insurance industry has been predicting that we are in for. While we do not have a Chrystal ball, we do
have scientific data that points to a more active Hurricane season this year…and
after Sandy, it is hoped that we would listen.
In ending, it doesn’t matter if we are having extreme weather
because of global warming or not. What
does matter is that we be prepared.
Consider taking steps today BEFORE an emergency arises. Have all your important
paperwork backed up on a disc; have all your emergency numbers printed out as a
back up to your cell phone; keep your home in excellent working condition and
have pictures to prove it,; and invest in camping supplies that could make a
huge difference to your comfort during a power outage. The likelihood is strong
that we are in for more extreme storm activity whether it be from the Category
2 Hurricane; a torrential downpour that overwhelms the sewage system; or a
tornado-like storm that leaves a large swath of land without power for
weeks. We need to take responsibility
for ourselves BEFORE disaster strikes.
It can make all the difference.
If you would like a blank Hurricane Preparedness CD
sent to your home or community for important documents, please contact our
office at 516-767-9600 and they will
be glad to provide one at no cost. Also,
unless you have an emergency restoration provider, we suggest you add this
phone number to your emergency list.
By Deborah Rashti, Servpro of Great Neck/Port Washington
