by The extreme weather seen in parts of the United States in recent weeks shows that it doesn’t take a catastrophic hurricane to cause significant damage – one example being the heavy rains from Storm Debby in parts of the Southeast.
The slow-moving system lingered over Georgia and the Carolinas on Wednesday after making landfall in Florida as a minimal Category 1 hurricane that flooded low-lying communities and combined with other weather that left thousands without power in places as far away as Ohio and New – York. . At least six people have died – some from falling trees, others from flooded roads, and dozens of states are under emergency declarations with more rain to come.
Van Johnson, the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, told locals to “Hunker down” in a live stream as the storm approached. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asked Americans during a press briefing to “stay alert, heed the warnings of local officials and visit ready.gov for tips on how to stay safe.”
As weather patterns change due to global warming and destructive storms become more frequent, even in places people thought were relatively safe, experts say disaster preparedness can make all the difference.
What should you do if you are facing the heaviest rain ever?
Well before extreme weather, it’s important to assess whether your home meets updated building codes and know your insurance coverage, said Victoria Salinas, who heads the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s resiliency program.
As storms approach, it’s also vital to check in on neighbors, sign up for real-time city, county and FEMA weather alerts and listen to local news and officials.
“Make sure things like the gutters are clear,” Salinas added. “If you live in an area with storm drains and storm water systems, it’s really important to help make sure the water has a place to flow on your property and block.”
“Sandbags can play a really important role” if used properly, she said. “Sandbags need to be outside your door, against the door, where the water is likely to come in. If the water is likely to be there for a long period of time, it is important to ensure that plastic-wrapped sandbags too.”
Should you try to evacuate or stay put?
If there are local evacuation orders, people need to obey them, collect important documents, get enough gas to drive away and be prepared to be away for a long period of time, said Jeannette Sutton, an associate professor at the University at Albany.
“Just because it seems impossible to do, I would hope that would not affect people’s decision,” she said. “Air on the side with caution.”
As major storms move in, there often comes a point when leaving is more dangerous than staying put.
“Unfortunately we tend to lose too many lives in these major flooding events because people try to drive through flooded roads,” said Phil Klotzbach, senior research scientist at Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science.
Charleston, South Carolina, all roads into the downtown peninsula are closed for 32 hours to avoid high water rescues. Driving can cause currents that send floodwater over the top of the sandbags.
“The bottom line is we want you to stay home until that’s done,” said Charleston Mayor William Cogswell. “We don’t particularly need yahoos to drive through the water and damage property.”
How can you prepare your home and belongings?
Shorter-term ways to prepare are keeping items, furniture and valuables to the upper levels, if that’s an option, and making sure sump pump batteries are fully charged, as well as making sure there’s enough food, water and medical supplies, FEMA’s Salinas said. .
“If I had a car, I’d probably try to put it in a parking structure, up above where the waters might flood so my car doesn’t get flooded,” suggests Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters, now at Yale Climate Connections. .
“Waterproofing your home is always a good idea,” he said. “And it’s always smart not to have your backup generators, for example, down in the basement.”
What can you do when a disaster has started?
If people cannot prepare for flooding in time, they should move to the highest level of their home, experts say, or seek safe shelter.
However, if there is a high wind and tornadoes are a threat, it could be dangerous to be too high up, experts say. That’s where checking forecasts is crucial.
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St. John reported from Detroit. Fatima Hussein contributed from Washington, DC. Jeffrey Collins of Columbia, South Carolina contributed.
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Alexa St. is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. John. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Contact her at ast.john@ap.org.
