Stay hurricane-safe when you're on vacation

Hurricane season doesn't mean you have to avoid travelling to the coast during the summer months. It does mean you should be aware of your surroundings and have a plan for evacuation if it becomes necessary.

"You certainly should be cognizant of the weather, especially if you're going into an area known for hurricanes during the peak part of the season," recommends Dennis Feltgren, meteorologist and public affairs specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. "That means paying attention to the television, paying attention to the radio and working with the hotel or your travel agent to determine the plan if you have to get out."

When is hurricane season?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. "The peak time of activity is typically from mid-August to about the third week of October," says Feltgren."Last year we had a quiet year, but that was because we had the moderating presence of an el nino," he says. "For 2007, we expect a much more active season than we had in 2006. We remain in an overall active hurricane cycle that began in 1995, called the multi-decadal signal, and these tend to last 25 to 30 years."

Understanding hurricane terms
If you're vacationing in a hurricane-prone area, listen to the radio. You'll hear an escalating level of terms describing the weather and potential hurricane situation.

The first term you'll hear is storm advisory. A storm advisory is issued every six hours, basically updating the storm: where it is, where it's going, and the projected track and strength.

If the storm gets close enough to be considered a threat to land, you'll hear a storm watch update on your radio. Depending on the strength of the storm, it will be either a tropical storm watch (winds between 39 to 73 miles per hour) or a hurricane watch (winds 74 miles per hour or greater).

A hurricane watch indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within 24 to 36 hours, and is a signal for residents to make sure their hurricane plans are ready to go.

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Depending on where you're vacationing, you may be asked to evacuate at the point of hurricane-watch announcement -- it can take anywhere from 18 to 36 hours to evacuate. In the Florida Keys, a hurricane watch signals authorities to issue a mandatory evacuation order for non-residents and tourists. Typically, tourists will be the first to be evacuated. It's important to evacuate when the order is issued and not assume flights will be available out of the area hours before a hurricane hits.

What if you aren't able to get out?
If you are unable to leave the area and are in the path of a hurricane, check with your hotel. They should have a hurricane evacuation and safety plan in place.Don't make the mistake of ignoring the evacuation order, hoping that the hotel will ultimately be able to protect you from a hurricane, says Feltgren. "There reaches a point where you can't do anything anymore and you end up in a situation such as the one we saw in New Orleans in 2005, where people ended up in a shelter of last resort (the Superdome), where it's basically four walls and a roof and you hope to God that you survive the storm."

Stock up on supplies
If you're not able to get out, says Feltgren, you've got to make sure you've got provisions. "In the personal hurricane plan we emphasize that everyone have along the coast, they need to have provisions for food and water and medical prescriptions to last at least seven days because, as we saw in some of the powerful hurricanes of 2005, it's going to take a while for the government to get in there and get everything established. You're essentially on your own for at least 72 to 96 hours."

It's important to know that even when the storm itself has passed, the danger hasn't, warns Feltgren. "Most people [who die in hurricanes] are killed after the storm rather than during. They're caught by downed power lines, inland flooding, and traffic accidents."

Best practice
What's the upshot? Don't get caught in a hurricane, advises Feltgren. Keep current with what's happening on the weather scene and when you're advised to evacuate, do it.

"Don't sit around and think you'll have dinner first," says Feltgren. "Do it. When they say go, they mean go."

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