Top Nine Tips to Prevent a Catastrophic Home or Business Fire
July 6, 2020
Living in and visiting Florida has many wonderful benefits. The beautiful weather all year round and the many attractions make it enticing to enjoy this southern state. Tampa Bay is especially attractive with the Gulf of Mexico and all of the beaches, restaurants, bars, and shopping. Sports fans love the large variety of local teams to watch, such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Vipers, and Tampa Bay Rowdies. The same benefit of Florida’s incredible weather can turn into a negative, especially during the Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane season starts June 1st and goes until November 30th each year.
Busy Hurricane Season Predicted for 2020
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The prediction states a 60% chance of above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. The forecast has a range of 13 to 19 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Six to ten of those named storms could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to six could be major hurricanes of category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher.
At the time of writing this blog, three storms were already named by June 3rd just three days into the 2020 storm season.
Storm Damage to Homes and Businesses
Severe weather popping up quickly can create significant damage for homes, properties, and businesses. Hurricanes, storms, wind gusts, floods, and flying debris can cause serious water, wind, fire, and mold damage. You’ll want to know a quality local property restoration company to restore your home or business to pre-loss or better condition. Call Synergy Property Restoration at 855-630-4585 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service.
2020 Atlantic Storm Names
Here are the names of the 2020 Atlantic storms – Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, and Wilfred.
Most Recent Florida Hurricane in Mexico Beach, Florida – Category 5 Michael
On October 10, 2018, the Panhandle suffered the worst-case scenario all of Florida fears. Hurricane Michael, a Category 5, is the fourth-strongest hurricane by wind speed ever to strike the United States. It was the most powerful storm ever to hit the Panhandle. The destruction was absolute. The hurricane’s eye made landfall near Mexico Beach in Bay County, and its southeastern neighbor Gulf County. Both of these counties took the brunt of the storm. Entire communities were reduced to the kind of debris that had to be cleaned up by bulldozers.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s after-action report, Hurricane Michael was directly responsible for 16 deaths — seven in Florida — and indirectly responsible for the death of 43 Floridians. This hurricane destroyed 1,500 structures in Bay County and 985 in Gulf County. Hurricane Michael caused $25 billion worth of damage — $18.4 billion suffered by Florida alone.
Additional Florida Storm History
There has been a significant Florida storm history which includes:
- The “Great Miami” hurricane devasted the Greater Miami area in September 1926.
- Labor Day 1935, an unnamed storm tore up the Florida Keys at 185 mph. The wind was so strong it knocked a train off the rails.
- Hurricane King made landfall on downtown Miami at 130 mph in October 1950, damaging 20,861 houses.
- Category 5 Hurricane Andrew struck Florida at 175 mph in August 1992, leaving millions of people without power and neighborhoods destroyed.
- Hurricane Charley in 2004 caused $16 billion in damages when the Category 4 storm made landfall just south of Tampa. Three other hurricanes, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, hit Florida that same year.
- In 2005, Hurricane Wilma broke records at the time as the most intense storm with 185 mph winds to hit the Atlantic Ocean. It was especially damaging to Florida.
- Category 5 Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys in September 2017. It set a record for maintaining a wind speed intensity of 185 mph for 37 hours.
- Hurricane Michael hit Mexico Beach, Florida in 2018 referenced above.
According to AccuWeather, the Tampa Bay area has an 11 percent chance of feeling the impacts of a hurricane in any given year. Tampa is located on Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, which is exposed to hurricanes entering the Gulf and systems forming in the Atlantic. The homes in this area along the Gulf of Mexico are susceptible to storm surge, hurricane, and high wind damage and flooding. Tampa is a large metropolitan area, and the effects of a hurricane are widespread throughout the city.
If you experience any disaster, call Synergy Property Restoration at 855-630-4585, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.