The far southern United States, along the eastern seaboard and the Gulf Coast, has a high incidence of hurricanes and a history of substantial hurricane-related damage. Hurricanes, "revolving storms originating near the equator that are accompanied by torrential rain and wind speeds exceeding 74 mph," are a potent threat in this area that need to be prepared for in advance to minimize potential destruction of property by wind and water, as well as loss of power and other utilities due to destruction of electrical lines ("Hurricane Hazards( A National Threat," 2005). Occurring as a system within itself, a hurricane forms from a tropical low-pressure system in which warm ocean water builds rain clouds around its center, with prevailing winds and the jet stream pushing the system farther out into the ocean ("Weather Safety," 2002). It becomes first a "wave," then a "depression," and finally, when its winds reach 39 to 74 mph, it is called a "storm" ("Weather Safety," 2002). When it reaches sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, the storm has officially become a hurricane ("Weather Safety," 2002).
Hurricanes are responsible for multiple types of damage and injury, including personal injuries or loss of life, business interruption or loss, loss of important records, and job loss. Preparedness for hurricanes can prevent or mitigate these eventualities. This paper will examine the destructiveness of hurricanes, the three main disaster preparedness plans for hurricanes developed by FEMA and various state emergency disaster agencies, and future concerns related to hurricanes.
Hurricanes are one of the most destructive natural disasters known to humankind. Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Iniki struck within weeks of each other in 1992. Andrew alone caused more than $30 billion worth of damage and forty deaths, making it "the costliest disaster in U.S. history" up to that date ("After the Storm," 2006). Among th...