The extreme weather conditions seen in parts of the United States in recent weeks show that it does not take a catastrophic hurricane to cause significant damage – the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Debby in parts of the Southeast is just one example.
The slow-moving system lingering over Georgia and the Carolinas on Wednesday after making landfall in Florida as a minimal Category 1 hurricane inundated low-lying communities and combined with other weather conditions to leave thousands of people without power in places as far away as Ohio and New York. . At least six people have died – several killed by falling trees, others from flooded roads, and several states are under emergency declarations with more rain come over.
Van Johnson, mayor of Savannah, Georgia, told residents to “hunker down” on a live broadcast as the storm approached. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged Americans during a press briefing to “remain vigilant, heed warnings from local authorities and visit ready.gov for tips on how to stay safe.”
As weather patterns change due to global warming and damaging storms become more frequent, even in places where people thought were relatively safeexperts say disaster preparedness can make all the difference.
What should you do if you face record rainfall?
Well in advance of extreme weather, it’s important to consider whether your home meets up-to-date building codes and familiarize yourself with your insurance coverage, said Victoria Salinas, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s resiliency program.
As storms approach, checking in with neighbors, signing up for real-time city, county and FEMA weather alerts, and listening to local news and officials are also key.
“Make sure things like gutters are clean,” Salinas added. “If you live in an area where there are storm drains and storm water systems, it is very important to help ensure that water has a place to flow both on your property and around your block.”
“Sandbags can play a very important role” if used correctly, she added. “Sandbags need to be on the outside of your door, against the door, where water can likely get in. If the water is likely to be there for a long period of time, it is important to make sure the sandbags are also wrapped in plastic.
Should you try to evacuate or stay put?
If there are local orders to evacuate, people need to listen to them, gather important documents, get enough gas to leave and be prepared to be gone for an extended period of time, said Jeannette Sutton, an associate professor at the University at Albany.
“Just because an event seems impossible, I hope that doesn’t affect people’s decision,” she added. “Air on the side of caution.”
As major storms approach, there often comes a point where leaving is more dangerous than staying put.
“Unfortunately, we often lose a lot of lives in these large floods because people try to drive through flooded roads,” said Phil Klotzbach, a senior researcher in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Colorado State University.
Charleston, South Carolina, closed all roads leading to the downtown peninsula for 32 hours to prevent flood rescues. Driving can also cause waves that send floodwaters over the sandbags.
“The bottom line is we need you to stay home until this passes,” said Charleston Mayor William Cogswell. “We especially don’t need any Yahoos driving through the water and causing property damage.”
How can you prepare your home and belongings?
Moving souvenirs, furniture, and things that are valuable to higher levels, if that is an option, and ensuring that sump pump batteries are fully charged are forms of short-term preparation, in addition to making sure there is food, water, and medical supplies enough, FEMA’s Salinas said.
“If I had a car, I would probably try to put it in a parking lot, above where floodwaters would flood, so my car wouldn’t flood,” recommends Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground, now with Yale Climate Connections.
“Waterproofing your home is always a good idea,” he said. “And it’s always a good idea not to have backup generators, for example, in the basement.”
What can you do when a disaster strikes?
If people are unable to prepare for flooding in time, they should move to the upper level of their home, experts say, or seek safe shelter.
However, if high winds and tornadoes are a threat, it could be dangerous to be too high up, experts say. This is where checking forecasts is crucial.
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St. John reported from Detroit. Fatima Hussein contributed from Washington, DC. Jeffrey Collins contributed from Columbia, South Carolina.
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Alexa St. John is a climate solutions reporter for the Associated Press. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Contact her at ast.john@ap.org.
