Arrows show where hurricanes have made landfall in the last 105 yean. 



This dome of water, which can ex- 

 ceed 15 feet, can submerge low-lying tidal 

 areas. It can undermine houses by scour- 

 ing away sand. And it can pull at walls, 

 pilings and foundations, causing them to 

 collapse. 



Riding atop this surge are hurricane 

 waves that can reach 15 feet in height. 



But that's only half of it. 



Water weighs about 1,700 pounds per 

 cubic yard. Throw that weight against a 

 building over and over, and you have a 

 nature-made hammer that can demolish 

 any structure not specifically designed to 

 withstand such force. 



And there's more. 



Hurricanes can drop six or more 

 inches of rain in a matter of hours over the 

 areas they pass. The resulting floods can 

 cause major property damage and loss of 

 life even to inland areas miles from where 

 the hurricane made landfall. 



Diana, a rather mild Category 2 

 hunicane, pelted Wilmington with 15 1/2 

 inches of rain over three days in 1984, 

 Hinn says. The one-two punch of heavy 

 rains and strong winds uprooted trees that 



fell on houses, cars and other valuable 

 possessions. By the time agricultural dam- 

 age was added to property losses, Diana 

 ran up bill of more than S70 million. 



With so much to lose in property 

 and life, it's easy to see why the weather 

 service's National Hurricane Center in 

 Miami has developed sophisticated equip- 

 ment to track these killer storms. 



The day has passed when a hurri- 

 cane could develop and go unreported 

 until it slammed ashore. Satellites, 

 weather reconnaissance planes and radars 

 track hurricanes from their conception to 

 their landfall to their final dying gasp. 



By using all the means at its disposal, 

 the weather service attempts to predict 

 the path of these enatic tropical cyclones 

 and adequately warn coastal communities 

 of impending danger. 



Forecasters issue a hurricane watch 

 when a storm may threaten an area 

 within 36 hours. The area under the 

 watch may be extensive since the location 

 of the hurricane's landfall is uncertain. 

 Residents in these areas should take pre- 

 paratory action and stay abreast of the 



storm's progress. 



A hurricane warning is issued when 

 the cyclone is expected to strike within 24 

 hours. The area under a warning is smaller 

 because forecasters can now narrow the 

 possible location for landfall. 



When warnings are posted, residents 

 and visitors along the beachfront, in low- 

 lying areas or in mobile homes should 

 leave. If local and state officials ask for 

 evacuation, everyone should go. 



The weather warning system works. 

 The death toll in the United States from 

 hurricanes has decreased as the weather 

 service's warning ability has improved. 



But hurricane forecasters are worried 

 that the time schedule for warnings and 

 watches may not be enough to safely 

 evacuate an ever-increasing population of 

 coastal residents over bridges, roads and 

 highways not designed to meet evacuation 

 demands. 



The alternative of offering greater lead 

 times for evacuation is equally wrought 

 with problems. 



Long-range forecasting for the landfall 

 of these great storms is still uncertain, de- 

 spite improvements in technology. To give 

 more time for evacuation would mean that 

 hurricane warnings would have to apply to 

 larger chunks of coastline — much of 

 which may never feel the effects of the 

 storm. 



And forecasters know that the public 

 will not continually evacuate when, in fact, 

 no storm comes ashore. 



That's not to mention the costs of hur- 

 ricane preparation. Officials with the 

 weather service estimate that advance 

 preparation — boarding up homes, closing 

 down businesses, losing sales and sending 

 tourists home — can cost a coastal com- 

 munity millions of dollars. 



With sums like that, coastal communi- 

 ties can't afford to prepare often. 



So to avoid being compared to the 

 boy who "cried wolf," the weather service 

 is standing by its present system of hurri- 

 cane watches and warnings. But they're 

 striving harder to educate the public about 

 the dangers these great storms pose. 



And the education won't be a minute 

 too late. Increased development and popu- 

 lation growth have made the coastal sec- 

 tions of the United States more vulnerable 

 to hurricanes than ever before. W 



barrier islands would be under several feet of water... 



COASTWATCH 5 



