Miami and the hurricane season: Things you must know
I worked in Miami for twenty-five plus years and lived in a small city just north of Ft. Lauderdale. We were not close to the ocean but we were about one mile east of the levy that holds back the Everglades. We were warned by our insurance man to take maximum coverage for wind and flood damage since there is no such thing as insurance for Hurricanes.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 each year.
Since the Miami Hurricane Center is situated in Miami and is near the NOAA Headquarters, their information on upcoming storms is fantastic. They can issue up to the minute warnings and keep the public well informed on the storm’s location and strength. They have brave pilots who fly special planes full of Star Wars type equipment to analyze each storm. They are called Hurricane Hunters and actually fly into and through the storm risking their lives to save others by gathering as much information as possible on wind speed, amount of rain, speed or movement and any other information they can get. Another problem with Hurricanes is the fact they create many Tornadoes and the circle of the Hurricane usually covers fifty to one hundred miles of whirling winds, rain and destruction.
If you do not live in Miami but are visiting, you should for your safety heed all notifications and advice and leave the area as soon as you can once a storm warning is issued. Any place close to the Beach areas are usually evacuated because of the probable storm surge and extremely high waves and winds. Airports are closed as soon as the storm is eminent.
Because there have been so few actual hurricanes come on shore in the Miami area prior to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, many citizens and business owners became lax in preparations for a storm. Homes and buildings were not always constructed to Hurricane Code. This was due in part to the tremendous influx of new residents and businesses. Since 1992, the State has created many new building codes and standards for all new and remodeled construction.
Miami is a beautiful area and wonderful for guests to spend time on the ocean and visit the historical areas of South Beach. The buildings have been in place for many many years even though they have been remodeled and painted as Art Deco.