Hurricane clock running down on 5 Florida cities
The years have been going by without a Category 3 or higher storm hitting the major metropolitan regions in Florida. Jacksonville: 127 years. Tampa: 86 years. Sarasota: 63 years. Fort Lauderdale: 57 years. Miami: 15 years. This is the state that is more susceptible to hurricanes than any other state in the nation.This cannot last and they are believed to be overdue for a major hurricane. The National Hurricane Center cannot pinpoint an exact date but they believe that it is just a matter of time. The hurricane season began in June and Florida is more at risk than anywhere else. There are more than 17 million people who live along the Florida coast. A large number of these people have never experienced a strong hurricane comparable to one like Katrina. The Hurricane Center also stated that if people don’t listen for the evacuations that a large loss of life is likely to occur. Over 40% of all US hurricanes hit Florida. Even with these statistics people are stilled unprepared when it comes to communication after a hurricane.
Satellite phones have not been popular until the wake of Hurricane Katrina among the general population. Emergency workers have been using them for many years. They are heavier and larger than the very slim cellular phones that are in demand. However, in the event of a disaster they may be the only means of communication. Cellular carriers work fast to restore service in areas where service may have been lost, however in the event of major disasters it may be a few days to weeks to restore service. There are two major players in the satellite phone industry, Globalstar and Iridium. Satellite phones range from $600 to $1500 depending on model and make and intended areas of use. Both companies offer emergency plans geared for disaster preparedness. Communication is a must in the event of hurricanes and satellite phones are just more reliable than any other type of communication.
The predictions for this year is 13 to 17 named storms and seven to 10 of them becoming hurricanes with a chance of three to five of these escalating into a major hurricanes.
posted by David and Brooke @ 8:38 AM
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