How to Create a Comprehensive Hurricane Recovery Plan

Hurricanes, with their destructive force, can leave behind a trail of devastation. If you’ve ever experienced the aftermath of a hurricane, you know just how overwhelming it can be.

This is where a Hurricane Disaster Recovery Plan comes into play.

Although a hurricane recovery plan can’t take away all of the damages caused by the storm, it can help you restore your life to a sense of normalcy as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Whether you have recently been hit by a hurricane or are looking to prepare for future events, this guide is tailored to help you regain control, rebuild, and restore your life.

1. Assess the Damage

The first step in any recovery plan is to assess the extent of the damage. This is crucial to help you understand the scope of work needed to rebuild your life. From structural damage to personal property losses, it’s essential to leave no stone unturned.

Conducting a Thorough Assessment

To assess damage effectively, start by checking your home for structural integrity. It’s crucial to determine if it’s safe to stay in your current location.

Begin with a visual inspection of the exterior of your property. Look for visible signs of damage such as fallen trees, downed power lines, or structural damage to your home. Remember, if you notice downed power lines, do not approach them and contact your local utility company immediately.

Safety should always be your top priority during the recovery process. Hurricane aftermaths can be riddled with hazards, both seen and unseen. Taking precautions is key to avoiding accidents and serious injuries.

Document Damages

If it’s safe to do so, make sure to document the damages. Create a checklist to ensure you document everything thoroughly. Take pictures from multiple angles, and don’t forget to document serial numbers and purchase receipts for expensive items.

Following a hurricane, it is crucial to thoroughly document all items that have been damaged. This includes not only walls, flooring, ceilings, and utilities, but also standing water and every individual item that has been affected. Taking photos and videos will aid in accurately assessing and addressing the damage.

2. Contacting Emergency Services

Knowing when to call for professional help is crucial. If you suspect gas leaks, electrical issues, or someone is injured, call emergency services immediately. Timely action can prevent further disasters.

Make sure you have the contact information for local emergency services readily available. In the chaos of recovery, quick access to these numbers can make a significant difference.

3. Securing Shelter

If your home is uninhabitable, you’ll need temporary shelter. Look into local shelters, hotels, or temporary housing options. Make arrangements for you and your family to stay safe and comfortable.

Preparing an Emergency Shelter Kit

As you transition to temporary shelter, prepare an emergency shelter kit with essential items like clothing, personal documents, medications, and emergency supplies. Having this kit on hand ensures you’re ready if a hurricane causes relocation.

4. Check for Clean Food and Water

The availability of clean food and water is essential to your safety. After a hurricane, drinking contaminated water can result in serious illness or even death. If you aren’t sure if your water is clean, lean on bottles of water and other methods of purified water like a Brita.

The same goes for food. After a hurricane, you might find your access to fresh food limited. It is highly recommended to stock up on non-perishable items before a hurricane hits.

Canned goods with pop-tops are a great option since they don’t require a can opener. High-protein, non-perishable foods like canned tuna, canned chicken, or peanut butter can provide you with necessary nutrients. Be sure to have a manual can opener in case your cans don’t have pop-tops.

Additionally, ready-to-eat meals and protein bars can be life-saving. Remember, it’s critical to ensure your food hasn’t come into contact if you’re in a flooded home – if in doubt, discard it. Safety should always come first when deciding what to eat after a hurricane.

5. Cleaning and Salvaging Items

During cleanup, you may be able to salvage some of your possessions. For those possessions that are damaged, you can get a contents cleaning and restoration team to repair them.

Contents restoration can be applied to a wide variety of different items that may get damaged after a disaster such as a hurricane. During the rebuilding stage, contents restoration services are just as critical as reconstruction, because they include everything inside the walls of a building.

The goal of contents restoration is to restore your damage possessions to pre-loss condition. Time is critical, so getting the items over to the professionals quickly is important.

What Should you do After a Hurricane?

After a hurricane, follow these 10 important steps to ensure your safety and begin the process of recovery:

Ensure Safety: First and foremost, check for injuries among yourself, your family, and anyone around you. Administer first aid as needed and seek medical help for severe injuries.

Stay Informed: Keep listening to weather updates and official announcements. Post-hurricane hazards like flooding, landslides, or tornadoes can still pose risks.

Contact Loved Ones: Let friends and family know you’re safe and your whereabouts. Use text messages or social media if phone lines are congested.

Assess Your Home: Carefully inspect your property for damage. Look for structural damage, gas leaks, or electrical hazards. If you suspect gas leaks, leave the area immediately and report it to authorities.

Stay Put If Evacuated: If you evacuated, wait for authorities to declare it safe to return home. Returning prematurely can be dangerous and hamper emergency response efforts.

Use Generators Safely: If using a generator, place it outdoors in a well-ventilated area to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Never operate it inside your home or garage.

Avoid Flooded Areas: Stay away from flood zones including flooded streets and do not drive through floodwaters, as they may be deeper and more dangerous than they appear. Follow road closures.

Food and Water Safety: Discard perishable food that may have spoiled due to power outages. Boil water or use bottled water if there’s a risk of contaminated water supply.

Contact Insurance: Notify your insurance company of any damage to your property and begin the claims process as soon as possible. Document the damage with photos or videos for insurance purposes.

Grab your Hurricane Recovery Plan: Find your hurricane recovery plan and follow the steps. Assess the damage to your home or business, call emergency services if needed, find shelter, check for clean food and water, and finally clean and salvage your items.

These steps will help you navigate the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, prioritize safety, and initiate the recovery process effectively.

How long does it take to recover from a hurricane?

Recovering from a hurricane is a process that varies in duration, largely depending on the extent of the damage caused and the resources available for recovery. In minor cases, recovery may take a few weeks to a couple of months, allowing time for cleaning, minor repairs, and restoration of normal daily activities.

However, in instances where severe damage has occurred, such as major structural damage to houses or infrastructure, the recovery process can extend to many months or even years.

Need Help with Recovery after a Hurricane?

Creating a hurricane recovery plan is a step-by-step process that begins with damage assessment and prioritizing safety. Although following these steps and staying prepared for future hurricanes, can help you rebuild and restore your life after the storm with confidence and resilience, sometimes professional help is still needed. If you are in need of storm damage restoration after a hurricane, whether its from flood damage, wind damage, or are in need of contents restorations, Jenkins Restorations is here to help repair the damage and get your home back to normal.

Tropical Storms vs Hurricanes: Key Differences

Tropical storms and hurricanes are not just everyday weather occurrences. They are powerful forces of nature that can unleash devastating winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges that can inundate coastal areas. By understanding the differences between these two weather systems, homeowners can make informed decisions, take appropriate measures, and protect their families and properties from potential harm.

The risks associated with tropical storms and hurricanes are not to be underestimated. From structural damage to flooding, these weather events can wreak havoc on communities, resulting in property loss, displacement, and even loss of life.

Being well-informed about the characteristics and impacts of tropical storms and hurricanes is crucial in order to effectively plan for storms and mitigate these risks.

What is a Hurricane?

A hurricane, also referred to as a tropical cyclone, is a formidable atmospheric phenomenon characterized by its immense power and intensity. It is a rotating storm system that forms over warm ocean waters and exhibits sustained winds exceeding 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour). Hurricanes can span hundreds of miles in diameter and have the potential to cause extensive damage due to their strong winds, torrential rainfall, and storm surge.

As the hurricane intensifies, it forms a distinct eye at its center. The eye is a region of calm, clear skies, surrounded by the eyewall—a ring of towering thunderstorms with the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall. The circular shape of the hurricane is a result of the Coriolis effect, caused by the Earth’s rotation. This effect deflects the storm’s winds, causing them to rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

What are Hurricanes are characterized by?

Hurricanes are characterized by powerful winds, heavy rainfall, and a low-pressure center known as the eye. These tropical storms can span hundreds of miles and bring destructive effects such as flooding, storm surges, and widespread damage to coastal areas.

How are Hurricanes Formed?

The formation of a hurricane requires specific environmental conditions. First and foremost, warm ocean waters act as the primary fuel for their development. Hurricanes thrive in areas where sea surface temperatures exceed 80°F (27°C). These warm waters provide the necessary heat and moisture to fuel the storm, powering its upward motion and intensification.

Moisture is another critical component in the formation of hurricanes. As warm air rises over the ocean, it carries with it significant amounts of water vapor. This moisture-laden air condenses, releasing latent heat and further fueling the storm’s energy. The condensation process leads to the formation of towering thunderstorms, which become the building blocks of the hurricane.

Low vertical wind shear is yet another crucial factor in hurricane development. Wind shear refers to the change in wind speed or direction with height. In the case of hurricanes, low vertical wind shear allows for the storm’s circulation to remain intact and become more organized. When the wind shear is weak, the storm can develop a well-defined center and maintain its circular shape.

What are Tropical Storm Conditions?

In the realm of tropical weather systems, tropical storms hold a significant position. They are intense weather disturbances that, while powerful, exhibit lower wind speeds compared to hurricanes. A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with sustained winds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour (63 to 118 kilometers per hour). Despite their lower wind speeds, tropical storms still possess the potential to cause considerable damage and disruption.

Is a Tropical Storm the Same as a Hurricane?

Tropical storms share many similarities with hurricanes in terms of their formation and development. Like hurricanes, tropical storms require specific atmospheric conditions to take shape. They typically originate from tropical disturbances, which are areas of low pressure that form over warm ocean waters. These disturbances may arise from a variety of factors, including atmospheric waves, the convergence of trade winds, or the interaction between weather systems.

To develop into a tropical storm, these disturbances require favorable atmospheric conditions. Warm ocean waters, similar to those needed for hurricanes, provide the necessary heat and moisture for the storm’s formation and sustenance. Additionally, low vertical wind shear plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the storm’s circulation. This allows the disturbance to organize and consolidate its energy into a more defined tropical storm system.

While tropical storms and hurricanes share commonalities in their formation and development, the primary distinction between the two lies in the wind speeds they generate. Hurricanes have sustained winds exceeding 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour), while tropical storms wind speeds are slightly lower sustained winds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour. This wind speed threshold determines the categorization of a tropical cyclone as either a tropical storm or a hurricane.

How Dangerous is a Tropical Storm?

Despite their lower wind speeds, tropical storms should not be underestimated. They still possess the potential to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and localized flooding, which can lead to significant property damage, power outages, and disruptions to daily life. Homeowners in regions prone to tropical storms must remain vigilant and prepared, as these weather events can pose substantial risks to their safety and property.

Tropical Storm Categories

In the tropics, weather disturbances go through various classifications based on their characteristics and wind speeds. Here are the different classifications:

Tropical Disturbance: This refers to a moving area of thunderstorms in the Tropics that maintains its identity for 24 hours or more. It is a common occurrence in tropical regions and serves as the initial stage of tropical cyclone development.
Tropical Depression: A tropical depression is an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation. It is characterized by maximum sustained winds of 38 miles per hour (mph) (33 knots) or less. At this stage, the system is still relatively weak but can develop into a more significant weather event.
Tropical Storm: When a weather disturbance strengthens further, it becomes a tropical storm. It is identified by an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds ranging from 39 to 73 mph (34-63 knots). Tropical storms have the potential to cause significant rainfall, strong winds, and localized disruptions.
Hurricane: An intense tropical weather system attains the status of a hurricane when it has a well-defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. Hurricanes are characterized by their powerful winds, heavy rainfall, and potential for significant damage. It’s important to note that hurricanes are known by different names in different regions, such as “typhoons” in the western Pacific and “cyclones” in the Indian Ocean.

What is the Difference Between a Tropical Storm and Hurricane?

While tropical storms and hurricanes share similarities in their formation and characteristics, there are key differences that set them apart. Understanding the distinctions between a tropical storm vs hurricane is crucial to accurately assess the potential risks and impacts they may face.

Wind Speed: The most fundamental difference between tropical storms and hurricanes lies in their wind speeds. Tropical storms have slower sustained winds ranging from 39 to 73 miles per hour (63 to 118 kilometers per hour). In contrast, hurricanes exhibit more powerful winds, with sustained speeds exceeding 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour). The higher wind speeds of hurricanes contribute to their greater destructive potential.
Intensity and Impact: Hurricanes, due to their higher wind speeds, are generally more intense and have a greater capacity for destruction. They can cause extensive damage to infrastructure, including well-built homes, power lines, and other structures. The impacts of hurricanes can be far-reaching, leading to significant disruptions in communities, prolonged power outages, and even loss of life.
Storm Surge: One of the major differences between tropical storms and hurricanes lies in the production of storm surge. Storm surge refers to the rise in sea level generated by the winds and low pressure associated with a tropical cyclone. Hurricanes, with their stronger winds, tend to produce higher storm surge levels. This can result in coastal flooding, erosion of beaches, and significant damage to coastal areas, including homes and infrastructure.
Rainfall and Flooding: Hurricanes typically produce more rainfall compared to tropical storms. The increased moisture content within hurricanes leads to heavy downpours over a wide area, often resulting in widespread flooding. The combination of intense rainfall and saturated ground can also trigger landslides in hilly or mountainous regions. The prolonged and heavy rainfall associated with hurricanes poses a significant threat to homes, communities, and the safety of residents.

Types of Hurricanes

To better understand the potential impact of hurricanes, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale serves as a valuable tool. This scale categorizes hurricanes based on their maximum sustained wind speeds and provides insight into the destructive potential of these storms. The scale consists of five categories, each representing a range of wind speeds and associated impacts.

Category 1 (74-95 mph or 119-153 km/h): Category 1 hurricanes are considered to have minimal damage potential. While they can still cause some damage, it is typically limited to trees, shrubs, and poorly constructed structures. An example of a Category 1 hurricane is Hurricane Arthur, which made landfall along the East Coast of the United States in 2014.
Category 2 (96-110 mph or 154-177 km/h): Category 2 hurricanes are characterized by moderate damage potential. These storms can result in significant roof and siding damage, uprooted trees, and power outages. Hurricane Ike, which struck the Gulf Coast in 2008, is an example of a Category 2 hurricane.
Category 3 (111-129 mph or 178-208 km/h): Category 3 hurricanes are considered major hurricanes. They have the potential to cause extensive damage, including the destruction of well-built homes, uprooted trees, and widespread power outages. Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating hurricanes in U.S. history, was a Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall in 2005.
Category 4 (130-156 mph or 209-251 km/h): Category 4 hurricanes represent a significant threat due to their extreme winds. These storms can cause severe damage to well-built structures, including the loss of roofs and walls. Additionally, they can result in widespread power outages and render areas uninhabitable for weeks or months. Hurricane Harvey, which struck Texas in 2017, was a Category 4 hurricane.
Category 5 (157 mph or higher or 252 km/h or higher): Category 5 hurricanes are the most intense and devastating storms. They can cause catastrophic damage, with complete roof and wall failures, widespread power outages, and significant storm surge flooding. Hurricane Andrew, which made landfall in Florida in 1992, was a Category 5 hurricane.

Understanding the categories of hurricanes helps gauge the potential impacts that might be faced in the event of a storm.

Preparing for a Hurricane or Tropical Storm

Preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm is extremely important as it helps safeguard lives, protect property, and mitigate potential damage. Being proactive and having a well-thought-out emergency plan, stocked supplies, and a secure home can make a significant difference in the face of these powerful weather events. For more detailed information on hurricane preparedness, please refer to our comprehensive blog post on “Hurricane Preparedness“.

Professional Storm Damage Restoration

In conclusion, understanding the difference between tropical storms and hurricanes is crucial in preparation. If a tropical storm or hurricane has caused you to experience flooding or damage, Jenkins Restorations is here to help. Our team offers emergency flooding and storm damage restoration services after tropical storms, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.

What Are the Benefits Of Creating A Disaster Recovery Plan?

No one thinks a disaster is going to happen to their family. In fact, nearly two-thirds of people in a recent study said they weren’t prepared and don’t think a disaster would happen to them because they didn’t know when the most recent natural disaster was. In the same study, nearly half of all the participants in the survey said they feel natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more powerful. Every household benefits from a plan. Here is some additional information on the benefits of a disaster recovery plan.

What Is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

A natural disaster recovery plan means different things to different people. For example, businesses have different types of disaster recovery plans than families do. There are essential elements in all disaster recovery plans, however. Your family needs to know what to do in case of any disaster, whether it is a natural disaster, or it is man-made.

Steps to Making a Disaster Recovery Plan

Just as no two disasters are alike, no two disaster recovery plans are alike either. The first step you need to take in creating a natural disaster recovery plan is to find out what disaster recovery types you need to plan for. For example, if you live in the Seattle area, you need to plan for earthquakes, volcanoes, and heavy snow or ice events, in addition to fire, storm and water damage. In the Atlanta area, it is more important to make a plan for tornadoes and hurricanes, since they are common in the region. Once you know what type of disasters you face in your area, you can then move on to the second step of your plan.

Find a Safe Plan

You need to find a safe plan for you and your family members, or your employees if you are a business owner, to use when an emergency happens. For example, all the members of a family need to know that if a fire occurs in the house due to a lightning strike, everyone will meet across the street on the neighbor’s front porch. Once you have developed that part of the plan, you can move to the next step.

Prepare a Disaster Kit

In general, people can prepare for disasters by preparing disaster kits. Some people opt for a disaster kit for when you need to leave the area quickly, such as a wildfire, natural gas leak, or an explosion. You might want to consider packing a go bag to pick up quickly if you need to leave. The bag should have important documents, such as copies of your insurance, licenses, passports, banking information, etc. You also need to think about packing food and medicine for all of your family members for at least three days. owners should also think about having an emergency kit on hand, that lists all of their employees and their contact information. Having a current schedule easily accessible will assist in making sure everyone is accounted for in the event of an emergency. You may want to think about providing water and snacks for your employees as well as ways to charge phones and computers.

If you are making a disaster kit for your home, such as in the event of heavy snow, ice, hurricanes, heavy winds, or tornados, it is helpful to have other emergency items, such as paperwork, a power supply that doesn’t depend on electricity and extra gasoline. Again, businesses will need to think more in terms of temporary stays rather than permanent ones, as one of the first orders of businesses in the event of snow and ice is to send employees home.

Assign Tasks

Once you have everything prepared, your next step as a family or a business owner is to assign people tasks, both during and after the disaster occurs. Children in the family can have jobs, such as calling or messaging relatives to let them know the family is ok or distributing food and water to family members. Make sure everyone in the family knows what they are responsible for doing and practice your plan regularly. Business owners can do the same thing with their employees. There will be a lot to do if a disaster affects your business, and your employees should be part of the recovery.

What Are the Benefits of a Natural Disaster Recovery Plan?

The importance of natural disaster recovery plans can’t be overestimated. While the goals of a disaster recovery plan are a bit different for businesses than they are for families, the outcome is the same: recovery from a disaster in the fastest and best way possible.

There are a lot of things that can slow recovery from a disaster down whether you are a home or a business. First, once the emergency passes, you need to be able to account for everyone in your family or who works for you. Also, it is difficult to get started on any insurance claims or government assistance without paperwork. Planning allows you, your family and your business a way to begin the healing process after a disaster occurs. Planning also protects your business and your home. Often, scam artists, thieves, and others swoop in on a community after a disaster and take advantage of fear and worry. Planning ahead gives you a list of people to contact, so you don’t need to worry about your security.

Need Help with Natural Disaster Restoration?

No one wants to think about what they will do or how they will react in the event of a disaster. Yet, as many as 97 natural disasters occur in the United States each year, and many of them can be costly. In 2021 alone, there were 20 natural disasters in the U.S. with at least a billion dollars in damages. About 10% of homes are businesses in the U.S. are affected by disasters each year. One way to combat worry and fear is to create a disaster recovery plan. That way, you’ll be ready to move forward after the emergency is over.

Do you need help figuring out numbers to call when a disaster is over? Think about adding Jenkins Restorations to your list. Our national footprint allows us to help homeowners and businesses across the country, with damage clean up and restoration. Contact us today!