National Hurricane Survival Initiative

Saving Lives & Minimizing Damage -- Is your community prepared?

Tropical Storm Chris to Become a Hurricane Well Off Carolina Coast; High Surf, Dangerous Rip Currents From North Carolina to Maine

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Chris will remain stalled off the North Carolina coastline into Tuesday.

Another expanding heat dome of high pressure aloft building into the Midwest and East is responsible for pinning Chris off the North Carolina coast early this week. By midweek, a southward dip in the jet stream moving into the northeastern states should help usher Chris farther out to sea.

Additional intensification is likely, and Chris could become a hurricane by early Tuesday.

Although Chris is likely to remain offshore of the U.S. East Coast, it will still bring impacts for beachgoers.

High surf and dangerous rip currents are expected to spread from parts of the North Carolina coast up the mid-Atlantic and New England seaboards Wednesday into Thursday.

Gusty winds are also expected due to a pressure gradient between Chris and an area of high pressure over the Northeast. However, the core of Chris’ strongest winds will remain well off the East Coast.

Some outer rain showers may brush the North Carolina coast, primarily the Outer Banks, through Tuesday night, but the majority of rain from Chris should remain offshore.

Chris may eventually impact parts of Nova Scotia Thursday and Newfoundland, Canada, Friday, while transitioning into a strong non-tropical area of low pressure late this week.

History of the Name ‘Chris’

This is the first tropical cyclone with the name of “Chris” to form in July.

The most recent Chris was Hurricane Chris in 2012, which was an unusual storm in that it was only the second hurricane to form in June as far north as it did – 41 degrees latitude.

The name Chris was also used four times for storms that developed in August, in 2006, 2000, 1994 and 1988.

In 2006, Tropical Storm Chris brought heavy rainfall to the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispañiola, and in 1988, Tropical Storm Chris made landfall near Savannah, Georgia, after impacting the northeastern Caribbean.

In 1982, Tropical Storm Chris developed in the Gulf of Mexico in September and brought flooding as far north as Tennessee and Kentucky.

Chris was also used once in the western Pacific, in August 1948, for a tropical cyclone that did not make landfall.

The name Chris was also used for three storms near Australia in 1982, 1991 and 2002. Cyclone Chris in 2002 rapidly intensified and made landfall east-northeast of Port Hedland in western Australia. Significant damage was reported in some areas, with extensive cattle loss and windmill damage.

Source: https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2018-07-08-tropical-storm-hurricane-chris-atlantic-rip-currents-high-surf

Financing to help Florida’s SNFs meet power requirements

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Revered for its year-round warm temperatures and relaxing lifestyle, Florida is home to the largest population of aging and elderly Americans who retire to the Sunshine State. However, Florida is also known for its disruptive weather, especially during the summer months that often bring with them devastating hurricanes and record-breaking heat waves.
2017’s hurricane season was particularly destructive in Florida. Hurricane Irma cost the state billions and took more than 70 lives. Among the victims were 12 residents of a Hollywood, Florida nursing home, who died after the facility lost power in the days following Irma’s wrath.

In response to this tragic event, a new mandate from Gov. Rick Scott requires all senior living facilities to install power generators, and to have enough fuel supply to run the generators for 72 hours. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have until July 1 to comply. Although thousands are already in compliance, many are without the financial resources required to make these expensive system upgrades.

There is a widely available, but lesser known, program that can help. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (C-PACE) is a program that provides business owners with funding for improvement projects such as the installation of impact-resistant windows and doors, roofing, HVAC and solar panels.

Through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill, property owners pay for the improvement projects over time. C-PACE loans are tied to the property itself and not the property owner, offering a rare chance for property owners to overcome common barriers of the upfront costs.

Ygrene is one of the nation’s leading providers of C-PACE. Our program is currently available in more than 150 cities and counties in Florida; however, most property owners do not know that C-PACE is an option for them. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by the National Hurricane Survival Initiative revealed that less than 8% of Floridians are aware of the program.

It’s important that nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Florida know that they are eligible for the C-PACE program, as they all share the same goal of ensuring residents are kept safe and cared for during disasters. C-PACE providers like Ygrene can help nursing homes meet the governor’s new mandate for backup power supply, but beyond that, C-PACE is a practical option for affording other projects that will improve facility conditions for the seniors in their care.

With the official start to Florida’s hurricane season having begun on June 1, and the deadline for complying with the new state mandate just around the corner, facility upgrades for nursing homes should be a top priority.

As we all know, when the stifling heat and punishing storms hit Florida this summer, our seniors are among the most vulnerable. They’ve taken care of us, now it’s time to take care of them.

Kate Wesner is the Senior Director of Government Affairs at Ygrene, national leader in residential and commercial energy efficiency and resiliency project financing.

6 Ways to Prepare Now for Hurricanes

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The worst thing that people who live along coastlines can do is not to prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the two key factors contributing to weather safety during hurricanes are preparing in advance for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials.

The director of the National Hurricane Center, Rick Knabb, and AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski, outlined certain precautionary steps that people in areas impacted by hurricanes and tropical storms should take.

1. Evacuation planning

The main reason people have to evacuate during hurricanes is from a storm surge, which is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm’s winds that can reach heights well over 20 feet and can span hundreds of miles of coastlines, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“Evacuation planning is number one on the list,” Knabb said.

Knabb urged that people find out today if they live in a hurricane evacuation area, which is an area in which residents must leave their homes in the event of a hurricane.

Local governments provide the public with information about evacuation areas and the evacuation plans, and Knabb recommended that people review this information in advance.

“Some people will actually test the evacuation route in good weather,” Kottlowski said. “Waiting until the day of the hurricane isn’t a smart idea since everyone will be in a heightened state of anxiety.”

While people who live in storm surge areas fall within areas that are urged to evacuate during a hurricane, people who live outside of these zones should still look into safety precautions during a hurricane.

Those who live in mobile homes and high rises may also have to evacuate even if they do not live in an evacuation area, Knabb said.

“It’s not just a beach front problem,” he added.

Pet owners should also have a evacuation plan for their pets. Many shelters offer places to keep pets.

2. Buy supplies

The most important thing that both Knabb and Kottlowski stressed was buying supplies well in advance and keeping those supplies on hand should evacuation be required.

“If you wait until the hurricane is on your doorsteps, you are going to be waiting in long lines and they could even be out of the stuff you need,” Knabb said.

Those living in evacuation areas should keep a hurricane kit handy that is stored in a way that is easy to grab and bring to an evacuation shelter.

While evacuation shelters do provide supplies, Kottlowski said, “Shelters can get overrun and may not have enough supplies.”

These kits should include water, food, blankets and clothing.

Kottlowski said he recommends that residents have their kits bagged up in a suitcase or plastic tub.

3. Check insurance coverage

Property owners and renters should be sure to insure their homes against flooding, something that Knabb said many people do not realize is not a part of standard home and renters insurance.

Tenants and home owners can contact their renters or home insurance provider to buy flood insurance, and they should do so even if they do not live right along the coastline.

“People might think that if they don’t live on the coast, then they won’t have a flooding problem,” Knabb said. “But if it can rain, it can flood.”

Car owners should also contact auto insurance companies and move their cars into an off-site location or secured building.

“You won’t be able to take every vehicle you own to the shelter, but if you leave the vehicle outside, it could be seriously damaged,” Kottlowski said.

4. Make copies of important documents

Those living in or near hurricane areas should make copies of proof of ownership documents of any property not limited to their homes, cars and boats.

These documents can be stored in the hurricane kit or in any safe location that does not risk being damaged during the hurricane.

“If a hurricane levels your house, you have to prove that it is your house,” Kottlowski said.

5. Protect your home

Residents and tenants should inspect their homes to confirm that there is no damage that a hurricane could increase.

Any issues with the overall structure should be repaired, including loose shingles or damaged roofs.

“Any possible compromises to the roof or house will become an open avenue for strong and gusty winds,” Kottlowski said.

Residences with yards should also make a list of anything laying on the ground outside that could get tossed into the air and become debris during high winds.

Kottlowski also said residents should purchase supplies, including plywood to cover windows and extra security to keep doors from blowing open, in advance, to secure their homes from damaging winds.

6. Back up your electronics

Aside from keeping extra batteries and chargers around during a hurricane, people are also encouraged to backup any electronic devices.

Knabb said data should be stored at an off-site location so that data can be recovered if something were to happen to the physical computer or device during a hurricane.

Businesses should take particular caution in backing up information and sending that information to a remote site.

For more safety and preparedness tips, visit AccuWeather.com/Ready.