 Now that winter is in full force, it’s important to prepare for mother nature’s wrath it throws at us in the upcoming months. Driving in the winter can be an absolute nightmare, and it seems every year people have to educate themselves on what it takes to remain prepared and safe on the road. However, the fact of the matter is that traveling in snow, ice, fog or rain can be a major challenge for even the most experienced motorists. Everyone could use a little refresher when it comes to navigating the slick roads this winter.
The initial step you must take is to ready your vehicle. This includes checking the battery, wipers, coolant, tires and other systems that are most affected when the temperature drops in your vehicle. You have to make sure your tires have good tread, otherwise it’s prone to sliding around the roadways. When you know your vehicle is ready for the road, clear off any snow that is piled up on your car. It becomes a safety hazard to others on the road if you don’t remove it, and can also land you in legal trouble in many states. This also includes removing ice and dirt from your windows as well. It is also important that you stock your vehicle with a winter supply kit. This supply kit includes a phone, charger, batteries, blankets, flashlight with extra batteries, first-aid kit, high calorie non-perishable food, small can with matches, sack of sand or cat litter for traction, shovel, windshield scraper and battery booster cables. The final and most important step is to check the weather forecast ahead of time before you hit the roads. Your drive will be much safer if you know what to expect ahead of time, and you should change plans if travel is forecast to be hazardous. If you do need to hit the roadways when winter weather hits, you must make sure to stay alert. You must make sure to keep your gas tank over half full and keep a close eye on road conditions, which can change rapidly. If you are on a long drive, make sure to take breaks often so you can stay focused on the road. It’s important to drive slower than normal and leave more room between you and surrounding vehicles. You should not use cruise control, brake quickly or make sharp turns as you will slide even with barely any snow or ice on the ground. Finally, you should never use your phone while operating your vehicle under any means, especially in these conditions. Anyone can manage to drive through a snowstorm, if needed, if they educate themselves and follow these steps. At the end of the day, stay off the roads if you can to allow plows to remove snow and ice. It’ll keep you as well as everyone else out of harm’s way. For more information on weather preparedness and safety, click here! © 2018 Weather Forecaster Michael Ames
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 DISCUSSION: With Winter-time quickly approaching, there is no doubt that many people both across the United States and around the world will be needing to prepare their house, car, and overall lifestyle for the various issues which come along with the Winter season. Whether it is considering putting some financial investment into an external power generator, insulating your doors and windows from outside influences, cleaning your furnace and/or fireplace, or even cleaning out your gutters from rain and snow event run-off, there is a lot of importance in being prepared.
To get into more detail, it is incredibly important to always prepare your home for what may come as the cold days of Winter arrive. One of the many things which should always be done under any and all circumstances is to install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as shown in the graphic above since this can be a life saving measure for both you and your family. In addition, after installing them, they should be tested for any flaws or imperfections to make sure they are in full operating order in case of a fire or carbon monoxide leak of some kind during the Winter months. Another issue which cannot be understated is the importance of remembering that health and well-being of family pets. Although many animals such as dogs and cats have thicker furs, much like humans, exposure to colder temperatures for a prolonged time can often lead to various compromised health conditions for the animal(s). Thus, always remember to not leave them outside for a prolonged time in cold weather and even more importantly when it is snowing or icing since when their fur gets wet, it can make them even more vulnerable to the cold temperatures outside. Of the many other things which are important to prepare for during the coldest days of Winter, it is always important to remember to take care of yourself. More specifically, to remember to dress in layers and dress warmly to ward off various potential cold-weather health conditions such as frostbite, hypothermia, or pneumonia. This can easily be done by always wearing insulating clothing as well as changing your clothes as soon as possible when they do get damp or wet from outside activities of various types. To learn more about other weather safety and preparedness topics, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: It goes without saying that even in the weeks since the coastal, semi-coastal, and further inland areas of North Carolina and South Carolina felt the full force of Hurricane Florence, there are still many lessons to be learned. Another major lesson which is crucial to take away from the impacts as well as the aftermath of Hurricane Florence were the storm surge impacts. Attached above is both a neat video courtesy of Meteorologist Erika Navarro from The Weather Channel as well as a short video briefing wherein there are some personal thoughts discussed (courtesy of Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz) on the dangers of storm surge. Furthermore, there is also a discussion on how and why it is so important to respect the power of storm surge as well as flooding in both current and future storms.
To learn more about other weather preparedness and preparedness educational topics as they pertain to high-impact weather events, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  Hurricane Florence recently dumped between 23 to 33 inches of water on areas of coastal North Carolina. Mandatory evacuations of the Carolina coasts took place before the storm hit, and river flooding has caused evacuations in more inland areas. The damage associated with Florence has been called catastrophic and devastating. But Florence was “only” a Category 2 storm at landfall. The Saffir-Simpson scale assigns tropical systems a category based on wind speeds, as shown in this table:  Many Americans, especially those who live near the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, are familiar with this scale, and assess the danger of a storm based on its category. A Category 4 or 5 storm causes much more alarm than a Tropical Storm or a Category 1 hurricane. So understandably, when Florence went from a Category 4 to a Category 2 as it approached the US, many people believed that the storm had been overhyped or poorly forecasted, and that it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as meteorologists were claiming.
Therein lies the problem with the Saffir-Simpson scale. The scale is only based on wind speed, with no regard for rainfall, flooding, or storm surge. These were the true threats associated with Florence, and with 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, which did much of its damage as a Category 1 hurricane and a tropical storm. Yes, winds are a major component of a hurricane and can do a lot of damage. Water, however, is more dangerous than wind. Flooding destroys homes and the personal items within them. Moving floodwater, especially powerful storm surge, can sweep away people, cars, even homes built close to the shoreline. Trees in wet soil are more likely to be uprooted and fall over, crushing buildings. Mudslides can occur in hilly or mountainous terrain. Between Harvey and Florence, it has become clear that a new, more detailed hurricane classification system is necessary. In the meantime, broadcast meteorologists and the public alike must remember to look beyond a storm’s category. Just because a storm is a Category 1 doesn’t mean it won’t bring large, destructive amounts of water with it. It is important for water impacts to be better communicated as part of hurricane coverage. Perhaps a new scale will be developed in the future. In the meantime though, make sure to pay attention to rain totals and expected storm surge should you find yourself in a hurricane situation. ©2018 Meteorologist Margaret Orr Photo Credit: NOAA/NESDIS https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/hurricane-florence-nears-east-coast Rainfall total source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-florence-numbers-latest-power-outages-rain-totals/story?id=57819104 The Resiliency of Hurricane Florence During and After Landfall (Image Credit: AQUA MODIS Satellite)9/16/2018 
DISCUSSION: As of this past Friday morning, Hurricane Florence finished the long journey to North America and made a historic landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. However, one of the more notable aspects about this particular tropical cyclone were the long-duration rainfall and wind impacts across a number of different cities in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Attached above is a brief video briefing which discussed some of these longer duration impacts and why they occurred. Be sure to watch and learn more about this historic hurricane which has now been downgraded to a tropical depression. Also, attached at the top is a shot of Hurricane Florence when the storm was all the way up at Category 4 status over the open waters of the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
To learn more about other weather safety and preparedness issues and/or topics from around the world, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: When it comes to dealing with coastal and semi-inland logistical and personal preparations out ahead of a developing and/or an approaching tropical cyclone, there is no question that there are many critical decisions which can either be made or not made. For instance, in the critical days ahead of a given tropical cyclone landfall, any local citizen in the path of what is more than likely soon-to-again-be Hurricane Florence can make certain conscious decisions which can make them either safely or more vulnerable to any and all potential upcoming impacts. Thus. there are some core fundamental questions which one should ask themselves (i.e., right now so there is still sufficient time prepare adequately) in advance of Hurricane Florence.
One such question could be something as simple as "Is my house as hurricane-ready as possible? Or, have I purchased enough drinking water and non-perishable foods to last through at least 5 to 7 days? That is, so one is prepared to endure a period of time where government-based storm-relief aid may not be able to arrive due to the severity of what could be a rough post-storm aftermath as a result of wind and/or flooding damage. A great example for proof and point of what a tropical cyclone can do to a region is the image attached above which is a shot of what Houston-Hobby International Airport looked like in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Another pivotal question may be "Should I be safe enough to stay where I am or should I evacuate?" This question can often be answered by simply listening to and heeding advice and/or recommendations from local law enforcement while also supplemented that information with the key messages being sent out from your local National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office as well as the NWS National Hurricane Center office. If what is soon-to-again-be Hurricane Florence does end up squaring up the Mid-Atlantic coastline for a direct hit somewhere between South Carolina and Virginia as is currently the predominant forecast track thinking, there are some MAJOR things to consider. First off, all people living within at least 25 to 50 miles of the coastline will want to get a hold of as many emergency supplies as possible so there is as much solid preparation out ahead of a potential head-on strike as possible. This makes in-storm emergency response logistics much simpler when nearly everyone in the path of an approaching intense tropical cyclone has sufficient protective shelter and survival resources at their disposal. Thus, the bottom line is that with a currently landfall time-frame of later Thursday evening (09/13), there is still plenty of time to pack things up and get out of the way if a person or family feels safest going that route or making things and their situation as hurricane-safe as possible. However, the time to act is between now and Wednesday evening to remain as safe as possible and to avoid congesting regional highways and such. Take action now and be prepared! To learn more about other important weather preparedness topics and issues from around the world, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: With us now fast-approaching the climatological peak of the 2018 Tropical Atlantic hurricane season (i.e., the period of time during which tropical cyclone formation is often found to occur most frequently over the course of recorded history), there are things you should know ahead of time. First and foremost, ahead of any tropical storm you ever experience, it is absolutely critical to always have a solid, concrete plan in place well in advance of any given tropical cyclone season so you are always ready to act. In addition, you should have other back-up contingencies ready to go as well so you are not stuck with nowhere to go if the worst should happen and your back-up plan will not end up being a viable plan.
In any evacuation plan, one should always be sure to have at least the following items in their emergency kit: extra batteries of varying types for various devices you may have with you and need, at least a week to 10-day supply of water and non-perishable food items, prescription medications, blankets, a basic first aid kit, flashlight, a batter-powered or hand-cranked weather radio, cell phone with the corresponding charger and a back-up charged battery supply (if physically possible), and local and/or regional maps of your state and other nearby states (for any situation in which you need to evacuate to unfamiliar areas away from your home city). Thus, there is quite a bit you should be ready to have on-hand at a moment's notice and especially if you live within 100 miles of a given coastal region along the U.S. Gulf and/or East Coast. Thus, the idea is to be ready well ahead of any potential natural disaster threat imposed by an incoming tropical storm and to never "wait until the time comes" since that may honestly create major logistical problems for you and your family/friends. This is because just prior to the landfall of any more intense tropical cyclone, a good portion of the general public from any larger metropolitan region and nearby suburbs will always make a "last-minute rush" to grab food from local grocery stores and home improvement stores to pick up emergency supplies of varying types. This makes for a VERY hectic situation and nightmarish pre-storm process in any larger city and makes the advanced pre-storm planning that much more valuable. To learn more about this important pre-storm planning topic and what else there is that you could know and do ahead of a storm (courtesy of the www.ready.gov website), feel free to click here!  Throughout this summer, wildfires have impacted areas all around the world. Earlier this month, a major disaster was declared for Northern California due to the active wildfires in the area. Additionally, British Columbia is experiencing its worst fire season on record. Millions of people across the world can be affected by these wildfires, even if they are not in immediate danger from the fires themselves. Since strong winds can carry wildfire smoke beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire, it is possible to be impacted by the smoke even if you are miles away from where the fire is burning.
With the Atlantic Hurricane Season about to come in full force, here's how you can prepare7/30/2018  With the imminence of the prime-time Atlantic hurricane season steadily approaching, it’s important to know the weather safety tips as anyone that lives on the coast line could be impacted at any time. While forecasting technology has made great strides since it was first introduced, there’s still a lot of uncertainty when it comes to how you can protect yourself as well as your properties as there’s many impacts which can be introduced by a hurricane. It’s important to know what you can do before hurricane season, when a watch or warning is issued, as well as prior to the time at which a hurricane is projected to make landfall.
Before hurricane season arrives, the first thing to have ready is making sure your home meets building codes for withstanding hurricanes, this also includes storm shutters. These shutters can help protect your home when the strong winds from hurricanes batter your property. Having the proper tools, supplies and first aid kits are also crucial. These tools should include plenty of batteries, flashlights, a battery-powered radio as well as the essentials such as water, non-perishable foods, as well as important documents such as personal identification. Make sure to unclog any drain gutters and downspouts nearby, or on your property to assure that less flooding occurs. A threat to look for if you live on the coast is storm surge. The best way to combat this issue if it were to occur is to have a sump pump ready with battery backup to remove inundating stormwater. Knowing all of the evacuation routes is also key, as many residents will flee via the main highways and roadways. It’s best to get out of harm’s way as soon as possible, as you can get stuck with the clusters of traffic. Unfortunately, some places on the coastline only have one way in and out and making sure you’re prepared as soon as possible is more ideal. When a watch or warning is issued, it’s important to secure outside objects and bring them indoors, as they can pose a threat to damaging windows when the wind picks up. These objects include lawn furniture, trash cans, garden equipment, clotheslines, as well as hanging plants. After securing these objects, you should then turn off electricity, water and propane gas. With electricity running, it can potentially lead to fire hazards as flooding can occur and run directly into households causing sparks to ignite the flames. With the flooding also comes polluted water which can lead into households if water is left running, even after the hurricane. From there you should protect windows with plywood boards on top of the storm shutters. Using this as double protection is crucial in assuring that the windows don’t blow in. If you own any pets, make sure to pack the essentials such as a drinking and eating bowl, as well as have gallons of water and food for them. If you are called to evacuate, do so. Do not hesitate and wait until last minute as you can get stuck in harm’s way. When the storm hits, if you decide to hunker down on your property, or asked to shelter in place, make sure stay in a secure innermost room away from windows. The windows have the potential to break, even with them being boarded up and secure. Winds from a hurricane can reach upwards of 157 MPH (252 KM/H) or higher, which can lead to total roof failure and wall collapse. It’s important to know that a lull often indicates the storm’s eye is passing over, and that the storm is not over. When this occurs, you should wait for authorities or local weather radio to announce that the danger has passed, as well as closely monitor announcements via a NOAA or regular radio. When the hurricane finally passes, it is crucial to monitor local media for emergency information, as well as following instructions from public safety officials. You should always stay away from downed utility wires, as you should assume that the wire is still active. Remember the phrase, “turn around, don’t drown” as you should never drive through flooded roadways. Cars can be swept away in just two feet of moving water. Take photos of damage in all areas of your property to document for insurance. Hire a professional to check on electrical issues, as well as other areas of your home such as the septic tanks. It’s crucial to not wait on fixing these issues, as more problems can arise. Be sure to also check on family, friends, and neighbors. Reach out and give a helping hand to all of those in need, as working together as a team can help mend the wounds, as well as help start the rebuilding process much faster. Hurricanes are something that unfortunately the world cannot control, so it’s important to know all of this to help make the process much easier to deal with, as well as help save lives. For more information on weather preparedness and safety, click here! © 2018 Weather Forecaster Michael Ames |
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