We are all too familiar with the recent storm that struck Tallahassee. May 10, 2024, was a tough day when the power went out in Tallahassee. There were some optimists that bought into an automated website estimation that power would be restored that morning before lunch. That was a bit ambitious. Friday passed, as did Saturday, Sunday, Monday . . .. I was sitting in Paradise and kept hearing Chuck Jackson in my head: Any day now (Wand 1962). Most were very eager to get the power restored.
On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, electrical service was restored and our systems at the Office of Judges of Compensation Claims began to spool up and reboot. Exhilaration and relief soon turned to patience. There are lots of tools and software working for you each day. They work together, and they each need some time to power up, re-establish relationships, and function as normal. It is fair to say that "normal" returned finally on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
The storm that hit May 10, 2024, was a bad thunderstorm and it included tornados. It was serious. Not to belittle or deny, but it was not a hurricane. Hurricanes are a breed unto themselves.
Hurricane season starts soon (June 1, 2024). It will be a long 6 months of pensive tropics-watching. Every year, I set Google to automatically open the NOAA page each morning. I watch that threat map and I worry. I really love the one that they keep up during Respite Season ©2023, see It's That Time Again (April 2023). It stays static week after week. They have switched, and today it merely shows no activity. I love this image also, but know it will not persist. Some days this year it will be covered with little "X marks in various colors.
I have written a great deal about hurricanes over the years. Examples include National Disasters and Planning Ahead (December 2018), Time to Prepare for Hurricane Season (May 2017), Sally in September (September 2020), The Waffle House Index (May 2017), and Hurricanes Past and Future (April 2018). I have lived through more than my share, including direct hits in Paradise, direct hits on family members, and direct hits on my OJCC team out there in so many locations. We have had hurricane closures in places like Orlando that I historically misperceived as "safe." There is no part of Florida "safe" from hurricanes.
So, thinking of the season each May is not new. The May 10, 2024 Tallahassee storm was a reminder. Not a prediction. Regardless of what the scientists tell you, they cannot tell how many are coming this year, where they will hit, or what their severity will be.
In fairness, they can predict, but anyone can do that. I predict (1) there will be more than I want, (2) too many will strike population centers, (3) there will be property damage somewhere, and (4) you will be really lucky if none of it impacts you or yours. In that, you are not alone as the whole East Coast and Gulf Coast face risks and threats from these storms. All of Florida is at risk for hurricane impact.
The power had been back at the OJCC in Tallahassee for hours when a storm cell walloped Houston, TX. That is about 500 miles west of Paradise. We watch their weather because their storms often become our storms. Houston was devastated with 100+ MPH winds, flooding, and death. One official told NBC7 it was serious, such as has not been "seen in Harris County since Hurricane Alicia in 1983.” That was a few months back, huh? We hear of "century" storms (the likes of which only happen so rarely). Well, this storm cell seems to perhaps fit that characterization. That is saying something in Houston.
Ok, so the news about Houston gives us (1) it was a serious storm, (2) there was a great deal of damage (3) it could take weeks for power to return to all accounts. More troubling, 7 people lost their lives. It was a storm with little warning, it was serious, and people died. That is often said of various hurricanes.
We get it. Hurricane season is coming, we need to prepare. That message is old, but it bears repeating each year. The May 10 and May 16 storms are each a harbinger.
Let's focus elsewhere on our Houston analysis. Let's consider something that is said too infrequently. Let's think about what comes after the storm. As KPRC2 reports, there were 7 deaths blamed on the storm:
- "a 57-year-old man in northwest Houston who died trying to move an electrical pole."
- "a 60-year-old man who lost power in the storm went out to his truck to plug in his oxygen tank."
- "lightning hit a trailer that went up in flames, killing an 85-year-old woman."
- "A Houston mother of four died when she went outside to move her car so it wouldn’t get hit by a tree. As she was doing that, a tree came down on top of her, crushing the car."
- "a 72-year-old cement worker was killed when a crane collapsed and slammed down on the cab of his truck."
The details of the two additional deaths have not been published, but one of those likely involves a falling tree because two of the deaths "were (reportedly) caused by falling trees."
There are lessons in the details we have though. Much of the interruption of power is due to falling trees and limbs. Storms will cause trees and limbs to fall. It is tragic when one kills someone. Remember that those limbs and trees can fall long after the winds have subsided. That said, during a storm is not the time to try to protect your car or other property. Leave the car there, it is not worth your life. You have warnings of approaching hurricanes, prepare then or evacuate.
The fire death in Houston is tragic. Know this, once the winds get significant, the fire department may not respond to your urgencies or needs. Your call to 911 may garner nothing but a calm voice unable to send the police, ambulance, or other services. You may be very much alone. Plan, evacuate when ordered, and avoid this. The unexpected storm in Houston did not afford that opportunity. But we can learn from the tragedy.
Electricity is unpredictable and dangerous. If there is a power pole or line in your way, leave it in your way. There may be delay, but in time someone will come to move that pole. There is no percentage for you in moving a power pole, an electrical line, or anything that is touching a power line. Electricity is dangerous and you cannot tell when a wire is or is not energized. As services are restored miles from you, a momentarily inert line may be suddenly dangerous again.
If you are in need of medical equipment or medications, have that stockpiled. It is unfortunate when there is no electricity to power your oxygen tank or other medical treatment modality or tool. Prepare for that difficulty. There are many tools, but the easiest is likely a UPS or other battery. Such a device may be a lifesaver for those dependent on oxygen, nebulizers, and more. Having your vehicle is helpful, but having redundant methods to get you through the aftermath is critical.
You can be in the heaviest, biggest, safest vehicle in the fleet, and there will always be something bigger. The photos of the concrete truck in the cited articles are sobering. Work accidents happen during storms. People with safety training are hurt and killed by storms. People in the biggest, baddest vehicles around are killed in storms. The driver of that truck was crushed by a falling crane. Unexpected, unpredictable, and so seemingly random. There is no "safe" place in a storm, no "safe" vehicle. That is why 911 will calmly tell you that they cannot dispatch one of those huge fire trucks to save you in the midst of a storm.
There will be many engaged and busy in days and weeks to come. They will reconnect power, trim trees, dispose of debris, repair buildings, care for injuries, and more. A storm is an event, but the reaction, recovery, and rehabilitation are much longer, more labor-intensive, and unfortunately often more dangerous. In the moment, there is a focus on the situation, the danger, and the threats.
In the recovery, there has to be caution, consideration, and self-care. Every one of these events is only the beginning of a long road home for any stricken community. There will always be events. Those will always include bad outcomes for some and tragedies for others. But, in that, there is a reminder for the rest of us. Danger lurks in storms and in their aftermath.
As we prepare for the 2024 season, stock our shelves, consider our evacuation plans, and mentally adjust, it is a worthy time to remember that the aftermath may be as bad or worse for our safety than the storm.
Let Houston and Tallahassee be a harbinger. Take their impact and challenges as a warning and motivation. Know that storms will come. Know your practice may be affected, even if the actual storm path and power outage is hundreds of miles distant.
Get prepared now for the season. Review your plan. What would you need, what would you take, where would you go, who would you stay in contact with, how would you inform others (family, employer, etc.) of your location and status, how would you finance your evacuation, do you have special needs?
The best time to plan, those calm weather winter months is past. But in fairness, you have some time. June is traditionally not as active, the season is just beginning. Review in May, or June if you must, and facilitate smoother and simpler reactions if the next storm is in your neighborhood. Prepare your practice to be without e-filing. Know that the worst can happen and that your safety is paramount when it does.
Remember that the recovery from any storm may be long. Prepare to feed yourselves for at least 72 hours with canned goods. Prepare to be without power for weeks. Think about how you will power your tools like phones and computers and the internet. Think now, plan, and prepare.
A harbinger, an opportunity to think, plan, and prepare. It was a tough week last week for many. We think of all they are going through with sympathy, and we turn our minds to what the season may bring. Think about you, the potential impacts, and how you can and will react. Now is the time.