Hurricane Laura will soon be the first major storm to hit the U.S. with the greatest impact expected near the Louisiana/Texas coast. The 2020 Hurricane Season is underway and setting records. The 12th named storm is already on the books, and the season only half way complete.
Mother Nature is still lining up storms in the Atlantic while drought conditions and wildfires continue in the west.
Threats Loom Well Inland After Landfall
We hear and see the most about the coastal impact zones. They receive the most significant damage for all the reasons we understand. Huge winds and high storm surges are devastating. But as the image to above shows, Hurricane Laura, as a tropical storm, will continue very far inland and threaten a great part of the country.
Hurricane Laura will likely travel further north of Louisiana before carried to the east by the winds. With it will come heavy rainfall and strong winds causing flooding and power outages across wide areas of the storm’s path. The impact of both heavy rains and high winds affect families far from the major damages areas that the mainstream media cover on the nightly news.
Current projections show Laura could strengthen to a Cat 5 hurricane before landfall, storm surges 30 miles inland, and significant flooding well into Arkansas.
Wind and Flooding Threaten Water Supplies.
Hurricane Laura’s physical damage to homes and businesses will draw the most attention, but often we don’t think about the broader risk to water supplies
Wind, storm surge and/or flooding will both impact water supplies—both water wells and public water systems. Storm surge and flooding can damage public water systems or contaminate public water supplies for weeks after a major storm. Entire communities on in Texas, on public water systems, were weeks without water due to damage and contamination following recent hurricanes.
Downed electrical lines also leave homes and businesses without power for their water wells. for extended periods. Rural communities will be impacted most. Power companies frequent lend support to other companies to help restore power to an affected area.
Even if evacuation isn’t a requirement, you may still be affected.
Preparation Will Be Harder
Preparation will be more challenging and risky this year. We saw many disaster preparation items difficult or impossible to find during the COVID-19 response. Many of those items remain in low supply or hard to find. Water may also hard to find as a storm nears.
We hope Hurricane Laura and the post-hurricane storms impact no one, but they will. We encourage everyone to begin preparing now. Coastal communities are doing so, but don’t forget much havoc and damage a storm can wreak well after making landfall and how far inland the havoc is felt.
Now is Always the Best Time to Prepare
The best time to prepare is now. If bottled water is your preferred method of providing water for you and your family, find it now before the rush. If you would like to explore an easier, safer and lasting approach, consider Constant Water‘s battery-powered, whole-home/business approach.
Constant Water systems are permanently installed in your home. The tanks are always full and the water always fresh. When activated, you will have 40 to 120 gallons (or more) of potable water, available throughout your home or business.
You’ll be prepared now for the next storm and the next storm and every storm after that.
