Do you remember the night east-central Alabama shook? Trees crackled and crashed to the ground. Winds howled like a hungry lion. Heavy rain pelted the ground, sometimes falling horizontally. Electricity flickered, then died, and in some cases, stayed that way for a week.
Daybreak brought the first glimpse of disaster. Lives were spared, but trees and tree limbs littered our neck of the woods — some on roadways, some on driveways. Some toppled power lines. Some smashed homes.
Hurricane Opal wrecked the Florida Gulf Coast in October of 1995 and continued its path of destruction through Alabama and into Georgia, causing an estimated $3.9 billion in property damage.
We were jabbed by Ivan and brushed by powerful Katrina, but the direct strike of Opal and its aftermath are things area residents will long remember.
Monday marked the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season. What have we learned since Opal? Are we prepared to apply lessons learned from that frightening night?
The key to enduring hurricane season is preparedness. Though we don’t live on the coast, which is obviously most vulnerable to destruction, this is a region susceptible to tropical systems. We may go 10 years without tropical-related weather, but odds are a storm will return. It’s best to be ready when it does.
Heading into this hurricane season, which lasts until November, why not stock up on supplies? Have an operable flashlight available. Have batteries ready.
Stock up on bottled water, canned foods, and, of course, a hand-powered can opener just in case the power doesn’t return that day.
If your home is susceptible to stronger winds, have an evacuation plan ready. But remember, trees can fall through some of the strongest of houses. Folks should already have first-aid kits, hurricane season or not.
Check your homeowners insurance and see what type of coverage you have for wind or flood damage. Even storms that are considered less formidable tropical systems can bring plenty of rainfall.
Hurricane season is here. More than likely, residents in east-central Alabama will not be under the gun, but there’s no excuse for not being prepared if we are.
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