SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) – For many people Hurricane Katrina set the bar for devastation from hurricanes. This can hurt the way people think of hurricane season because the individual threats of each storm can be overlooked.
“The difference in a tropical storm and a hurricane is 1 mph. That’s all we’re talking about, so you just have to pick something for the nomenclature. It is all about those impacts and preparing for the impact,” says Ken Graham, director and Meteorologist in charge of the local National Weather Service in Slidell.
He wants people to stop thinking just about a storm’s Saffir-Simpson wind category. He says tropical storms can bring storm surge and flooding that can do more damage than a major hurricane. There are two points you need to remember about tropical systems, according to Graham.
“The slower the hurricane and the bigger the hurricane, the worse it is for Louisiana.”
Often times when watching the tropics, the public focuses too much on the predictions and not enough on the fact that it only takes one storm for devastation.
“People say you’re not going to have as many hurricanes. The forecast is for fewer hurricanes. Really the reaction that I get from people is, ‘We’re safe this year,’ and that couldn’t be farther from the truth” says Graham.
It’s not about panic, it’s about preparation and remembering that any storm can bring a variety of dangers, like wind, storm surge and flooding.
Graham stresses, “There’s kind of a cliche about the world meteorological association names, all the hurricanes, and I promise there’s never been a Hurricane Justa. There’s no such thing as just a 1, just a 2. It’s about the impacts. Look what Isaac was able to produce, and I can’t tell you how many quotes there were. This is just a 1. What you’re telling us can’t be true, and it was. It’s about the size of the hurricane and the speed. Those are the parameters that change the impact greatly.”
In 2005 there was a record 28 tropical systems, exceeding the list of names created. Everyone remembers it because of Katrina and Rita. 2010 however, was the third most active hurricane season in the Atlantic, but nobody remembers it because the United States was not struck.
“The key is the hurricane season is there for a reason. There are years where you can get an early weighted season or a late weighted season. You can’t wait for the peak; you have to prepare for the whole season. That’s why as we enter the peak, it’s a great reminder that now is the time to get our plans ready.”
