By Matthew Vanderford
A time to remember so as not to forget…
October 4, 2018: What is now officially characterized as a “system” continues northeast toward the Yucatan Peninsula.
October 7, 2018: By morning “the system” was officially a Tropical Depression; becomes Tropical Storm Michael at 4:55 p.m. that day.
October 8, 2018: Reconnaissance aircraft reports Tropical Storm Michael to become Hurricane Michael officially – a nearly 35 nautical mile wide system was reported to be forming perfectly.
October 9, 2018: 9:00 pm: Michael becomes a major hurricane. In the span of only six hours, the central pressure within the eye had dropped rapidly to 20mb.
October 10, 2018: Rapid intensification along with a well-defined eye appeared making Michael’s strength peak by the end of the day – sitting just below a Category 5.
As Hurricane Michael chugged along at 13 mph, it made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States in Mexico Beach, Fla., later that day. Ranking by pressure makes Hurricane Michael the third most intense Atlantic Hurricane to ever make landfall in the United States. Most recent data now indicates that Michael made landfall as a Category 5—the first storm to make landfall as a Cat. 5 in the U.S. since Andrew struck southern Florida in August 1992. (Andrew was also upgraded from a Cat. 4 to a 5 in post-storm analysis.) Michael was blamed for 49 deaths and more than $5.5 billion in damage.
PRESENT DAY: It’s one of those things…you remember where you were, watching, listening, waiting it out. Not sure if that “system” was going to wobble this way or veer off that way. You never really know until it’s right on top of you…or not…exhale. I almost stayed – thought to myself – self, we’re smart; self, we’re educated; self, you know what you’re doing; self, we’re staying – me, my wife, our kids and the dog. Why not…it’s soooo far away and there ain’t no way that thing is moving over here and you know what…remember those guys on TV, always hyping up the storms…yeah…definitely staying.
But later that day, reason sounded its still small voice in the back of my brain. Remember, Hurricane Hermine made landfall as a Cat 1, on high tide with a super moon; you met a man who was bedbound, a paraplegic who had to endure the storm alone on his bed with no electricity. Being unable to move, he endured the sound of water rising only to find a small relief with the water just stopping at the top of his mattress. Exhale.
You gonna be a hypocrite – or are you leaving?! Man – I had to open my big mouth and speak – now I have to leave. I have to err on the side of caution…have to err on the side of protecting my family…have to take what I’ve come to know and understand what these “systems” can do – and do what I know is the right thing to do. When animals sense trouble, they listen to their guts and do what they were intended to do: SURVIVE. I was beginning to think I had some special sense of power – TECHNOLOGY! But, remember what that tech got that man lying in bed.
In the wake of this tragedy let us listen to reason and sound advice in the upcoming seasons of our lives.
As I’ve said before, prepare:
• Have an emergency preparedness evacuation plan.
• Keep things elevated. (Get storage shelves and keep valuables at least 4′ off the ground.)
• Keep records and valuable documents sealed in water tight containers.
• Photograph your property annually or semi-annually to make sure you can report damages accurately.
• Make sure you have the right insurance for any disaster.
Most importantly – if you have questions about your policy or coverage, contact your local insurance agent or other insurance professional to help you understand what you’re covered for.
In the wake of tragedy, there is rebirth; in the wake of birth, hope comes to light…
