Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, the more violent never recorded to have hit the coast of West Florida and caused beyond 230 victims and extensive damagethe same region is facing a new natural disaster, theHurricane Miltonwhich struck the coast of Siesta Bay on October 10, 2024 at 2:30 a.m. (Eastern time) with the intensity of a hurricane of category 3 with sustained winds of up to 170 km/h. At the moment it is too early to have a toll on the victims and the damage: at the moment we know that people have died (but we don’t know how many) and around 2 million buildings have been left without electricity. The contact with the mainland took away the power of the hurricane, which dropped to category 2 at around 4am Italian time and to category 1 at 7.30am Italian time. But what is the government doing to guarantee the safety of the population? And what technical solutions should citizens implement to defend their homes?
Why Hurricane Milton got so intense
Milton it hit Florida as a category 3 hurricane, but in the previous hours it had reached category 5 (the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale by which the intensity of a hurricane is classified) with winds of up to 260 km/h, category which had already reached October 7 with winds of up to 285 km/h before passing off the Yucatan Peninsula.
One of the reasons why Milton formed and intensified so much is the high temperatures of the surface waters of the Gulf of Mexicowhich even at the beginning of October are around 28°C with peaks above 30 °C. In fact, remember that the heat of the water serves as fuel for the creation and intensification of a hurricane.
The existence of this type of phenomena is not exceptionalhurricanes have always existed: what is exceptional is the growing frequency and intensity of this type of phenomenon. So why do we see homes that look so fragile in hurricane-prone areas of the United States?
How to build hurricane houses
Unfortunately, many of the homes located in areas frequently affected by hurricanes are not suitable to withstand this type of extreme event. To date it is estimated that in the USA there are 30 million homes at risk of hurricanefor potential damage to 8.5 trillion dollars. And this is a huge problem: it’s a bit like living in a highly seismic area – like Japan – but not having earthquake-proof houses. The same applies to hurricanes: to have a better chance of resisting, you need to have fortified houses.
In reality this fortification can be created both during the construction phase, which is the best solution, and at a later stage. These structural anti-hurricane measures include, for example, the installation of reinforcing metal barriers at the roof, as well as external cladding, better foundations And stronger load-bearing walls. But in case of a hurricane it’s not just the wind force: often there are too floods And storm surges, and therefore it is a good idea to install airtight fixtures that limit the amount of water entering the house as much as possible. At the same time it is necessary to completely inspect your home and seal any points from which there may be leaks, just as it is a good idea to remove any unsafe trees in the garden, and also have clean gutters to maximize water disposal.
Once the outside of the house has been arranged, let’s move on to the inside: it is necessary to bring in any mobile which are normally found in garden, so as to prevent the wind from turning them into projectiles, and to make sure you have shelter it is best to empty any wardrobes, so they can use them as a refuge if things get bad.
Always from this perspective, it is good to do supplies, because it is not possible to know how long it will take for help to arrive, i.e. water, food, medicines but also batteries and emergency power supplies, because during a hurricane – especially of this magnitude – it is not possible to know how long you will be without electricity. Obviously at this point I imagine that many of you are wondering: but in these places that are frequently hit by hurricanes, is it mandatory to have insurance against natural disasters or not?
Is insurance mandatory?
On a legal level it is not mandatory in the USA. And in reality, many “basic” home insurance policies do not include this type of coverage. Precisely for this reason the FEMA, which is theFederal Emergency Management Agencyhas made available to supplementary insurance packages to allow those who wish to protect themselves even in the event of catastrophic events such as the one that is about to hit Florida and, according to their website, there is talk of average prices under $400 per year.
Obviously what I have explained to you so far is valid for hurricanes whose power is still within a certain range, but unfortunately if their expected power is extremely high, like Milton which is estimated to hit Florida with the intensity of a category 4 hurricane… well there the only thing left to do to ensure the safety of the citizens is to have them evacuate.
The evacuation of citizens by areas: how it works
In extreme cases the government can issue the order to evacuate the areas most at risk. but how does a citizen know if he is in a risk area?
There are maps which, depending on the situation, divide the territory from time to time into various areas, each with one identifying letter from A to F. Zones A, those in red, are the most at risk and therefore the first to be evacuated if necessary: followed by B, C and so on up to F.
Obviously in this case the situation is quite complex given that just two weeks ago theHurricane Helene has already hit the area hardso in addition to the logistical problem there is also an environmental one: the soil is still Very humid after the passage of Hurricane Helene so its ability to absorb further water is very low. Therefore even more damage is expected than would have occurred in another situation.
At the same time, it is important to say one thing, which actually applies in the USA but is the same in Italy: in these cases it is good don’t panic And follow what is said by the competent authorities. In fact, if an area is not so at risk and therefore is not evacuated, it is best for citizens to remain inside their homes. It’s easy to panic in these cases and get in the car towards a safer destination, but by doing so the roads become clogged and if the hurricane arrives while you’re stuck in the car… well, your chances of surviving are drastically reduced. At that point it is much safer to stay in your home, as long as you follow the advice we talked about before.
