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| Hurricanes |
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Damage Caused by Hurricanes
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FEMA is working with the local Parishes (Counties) who have requested FEMA's help in removing homes severely damaged by Hurricane Rita. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo
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Hurricane Winds
The intensity of a landfalling hurricane is expressed in terms of categories that relate wind speeds and potential damage. According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, a Category 1 hurricane has lighter winds compared to storms in higher categories. A Category 4 hurricane would have winds between 131 and 155 mph and, on the average, would usually be expected to cause 100 times the damage of the Category 1 storm. Depending on circumstances, less intense storms may still be strong enough to produce damage, particularly in areas that have not prepared in
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Hurricanes
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Before (left) and after the process of cleaning up Biloxi beach. Over 33,000 cubic yards of debris was left on Harrison County beaches by Hurricane Katrina. FEMA/Mark Wolfe
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Before a Hurricane
To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:
Make plans to secure your property. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8" marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof
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| Tornados |
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Tornados, natures most violent storm
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A tractor, once parked in a semi-trailer unit to protect it from the elements, fell victim to the forces of a tornado. FEMA photo by Win Henderson
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Tornados are nature's most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornados can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.
Some tornados are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging
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| Weather Emergencies |
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Floods
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El Paso, TX - This home and cars were caught in the flood/mud slide from record-setting storms in late July/early August. Robert J. Alvey/FEMA
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Are You Ready?
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins and multiple states.
However, all floods are not alike. Some floods develop slowly, sometimes over a period of days. But flash floods can develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without any visible signs of rain. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that
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