Planning for Soon-to-be Hurricane Florence Impacts across the East Coast of the United States? (credit: 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!

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© 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz