American RV

- What category of Hurricane would you evacuate your home in?
I live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and we are supposed to get a hurricane. For me it would be 4 or 5. Category 3 or lower, you can ride that out. Category One Hurricane: Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr). Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. Hurricane Lili of 2002 made landfall on the Louisiana coast as a Category One hurricane. Hurricane Gaston of 2004 was a Category One hurricane that made landfall along the central South Carolina coast. Category Two Hurricane: Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Frances of 2004 made landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane Isabel of 2003 made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane. Category Three Hurricane: Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be required. Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan of 2004 were Category Three hurricanes when they made landfall in Florida and in Alabama, respectively. Category Four Hurricane: Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane Dennis (pdf) of 2005 struck the island of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane. Category Five Hurricane: Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Katrina (pdf), a category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico, was still responsible for at least 81 billion dollars of property damage when it struck the U.S. Gulf Coast as a category 3. It is by far the costliest hurricane to ever strike the United States. In addition, Hurricane Wilma (pdf) of 2005 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.

A Depends on what kind of home you live in. With that said, I have never evacuated my house because of a hurricane, and I've been through every storm that hit FL since the early 90's. If you live in a trailer home, you should evacuate with a 2 or higher.

- What would happen if the Chesapeake Bay area was struck by a Major Hurricane?
In 1933, the great Potomac Hurricane swept through the region causing significant damage and death. It was not surpassed in terms of destruction until Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused over 4.28 billion dollars (USD) across the region. The Great Potomac Hurricane struck Norfolk Virginia at Category One intensity. Hurricane Isabel moved through the area as a strong Category Two. What would happen if a Category Three, Four or even the mother of all Hurricanes, the Category Five, were to move through the area and strike the District of Columbia-Maryland region (containing the major centers of Washington D.C and Baltimore)? Recent studies by scientists suggest that the region has been struck by Major Hurricanes before in the past. Major Hurricanes this far north is not unheard of. Actually in recent history, the Long Island Express Hurricane in 1938 struck Suffolk County on Long Island, New York as a powerful Category Three Major Hurricane with a central pressure of 946 MBAR. That’s over 235 miles north of Washington D.C. There are many factors that could strengthen such a storm, such as the Gulf Stream. But what kind of damage would be brought on by a worst-case scenario storm (most likely a Cat Four)? There are something’s to consider: - More than 150 rivers and streams drain into the basin, all of which are prone to flooding - The Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers a large area consisting of the states Virginia, D.C., Maryland, and portions of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Delaware, and North Carolina where much of the land is low lying, some areas below sea level. - The area is very densely populated, with nearly 17+ million people. That is nearly 17X the population of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. - Region is very industrial and a large tourist destination - The Bay has the perfect shape to funnel a large storm surge right into major centres - Tropical Cyclones that do strike at this latitude tend to have a larger surface area and wind field compared to ones observed in more southern locations (but not necessarily). - Many people in this area have never experienced a Major Hurricane, so they would not be as prepared and may not be as likely to properly secure their property on time - Many structures in this area were not designed to withstand winds greater that 111Mph Lets look at the stats of a Category Four Hurricane: Sustained winds-131–155 mph Storm Surge approximate height-13–18 ft Central Pressure approximate range- 916–952 mbar Cat Five has even higher ratings. So how would this scenario play out? How would you evacuate so many people in a short period of time? How long would the clean up take? If government buildings in D.C. were damaged, where would the government temporarily move? How would the government and FEMA handle such a crisis? How bad would the national economy be affected? What impact would it have on the global economy? What would the environmental and agricultural toll be? How bad would the structural damage be? How much would structural damage cost? What would be the human toll? How would it be compared to Katrina? So many question’s, so many answers, lets hear them! Keep in mind that IT IS NOT IMPOSIBLE, and it will eventually happen. Only a matter of time. It is also only a matter of time for New York City.

A All the facts that you mentioned are true for the most part. The damage of the Chesapeake Bay area would be similar to New York City and Long Island. The storm surge would cause significant amounts of flooding and damage because of the many coastal locations. Evacuation probably wouldn't be that bad because of all the different directions you can go. The other questions you asked really can't answer until it actually happens and where it makes landfall. The most damage will probably be caused by storm surge. It probably wouldn't be that bad when it gets to D.C. because it's inland and hurricanes usually weaken by the time they get there. The next one that affects the Chesapeake Bay will probably be the next one from NYC because most storms usually travel along the coast.