The Soft Parade

Hurricane Bill Precautions & Tips

Hurricane Bill is shaping up to be a strong storm by the time it hits Nova Scotia and the rest of the Atlantic Sea Board. At it’s peak, Bill was a Category Four hurricane (on an overall sale of one to five) with winds reaching upwards of 220 kilometers per hour. At this point, the hurricane has died down to a Category Three as it passes around the island of Bermuda on its North Western journey, and as it hits the even cooler waters of the Northern Atlantic it will continue to lose force.

But that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods, in fact it’s quite the opposite. The North American “jet stream,” an invisible stream of air in the atmosphere, will interfere with Hurricane Bill and effectively steer it up the coast line and toward Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. At this point it’s far too early to predict where the hurricane will strike, which even with the difference of a few degrees can make a very different impact, but all models point to the hurricane getting uncomfortably close.

The hurricane is expected to get within striking distance in the morning hours of Sunday, August 23, with large swells (two or three meter high waves) reaching the coastlines on Saturday. The heaviest rains in the hurricane are to the left and closer to the eye (center) of the hurricane with expected amounts ranging from 50mm in the more distant reaches to up to 150mm the closer to the storm you get. Different sources are citing the hurricane may die down to a tropical storm level (much weaker winds, but still significant), but may retain a category one or even category two force of winds by Sunday. With having a hurricane at this point in the hurricane season (which officially lasts from June 1 until November 30) with the warmer waters and coupled with the more active weather we’ve been having as of late, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to have the more powerful of the possibilities.

Even with the best case scenario, all of Nova Scotia can expect to see heavy and constant downpours of rain which may lead to flooding and flash flooding, especially in lower-lying areas of the province. The coast can expect to see heavy surf and currents between Saturday and late into Sunday or possibly Monday morning and, even with a distant tropical storm, can expect to see heavier than normal winds.

Some projected paths of Bill.

If the hurricane is pushed on land of the province (which according to many computer models, it may), the wind forces will be far stronger and more damaging with the heavier amounts of rain being pushed inland to New Brunswick. The sailing competition in St. Margaret’s Bay have already been cancelled as a result of this storm with many changes being made to the Prince Edward Island hosted Canada Games as well.

It’s important to be prepared for the storm, even if it is only a tropical storm once it hits. It is very likely for power to go out on account of the winds and high rains and may only be for an hour, or if the winds are stronger and damage is more frequent then could be off for up to 48 hours as Nova Scotia Power deals with the damaged lines. It is also important to ensure any loose items from your deck or lawn be stowed away safely indoors or inside of a tool shed, items such as lawn furniture, lawn ornaments, sporting equipment, and even your BBQ as well to be on the safe side. As a pet owner and lover, I can’t stress the fact that all animals should be locked inside of your house, effective of Saturday evening.

To be prepared, each household should have an emergency kit prepared in case of prolonged power outages or injuries caused by winds and falling debris. Such a kit should include the following:

• 72 hours of non-perishable foods (canned goods, vacuume sealed foods, dry goods, etc.)
• 72 hours of drinking water per person (1 gallon per person per day)
• Complete first-aid kid (bandaids, gause, anti-septics, needle & thread at the very least)
• Manual can opener (you’d be surprised…)
• Flashlight (1 per person) with at least one set of extra batteries per light
• Candles (at least two per used room in the house)
• Battery-powered radio (the higher quality, the better) and extra batteries

It’s also important to remember to have enough food and water on-hand for your pets. Make sure their food stores are plenty and fill up the kitchen sink (or bath tub) with fresh water. If you’re worried about your meats and other freezer items spoiling and making a mess, pack your freezer full of ice to essentially make everything one giant ice cube. Freezing 2 liter bottles of water is a good way of doing this and to ensure you have extra water in case it is needed. It’s also worth mentioning that while playing in the rain is fun (and there will be a lot of rain), playing in the rain and getting crushed by a tree limb isn’t, so stay inside.

Some people may think I’m being overly cautious or paranoid, but a little reminder that a lot of people thought Hurricane Juan wouldn’t be as bad as it was either. When Juan hit Nova Scotia, the highest sustained wind was recorded at 160km/h with gusts exceeding 200km/h. Two meter high surges (the highest on record) were constantly barraging the shores causing heavy damage but with a relatively low rainfall amount of 52mm (due to the fast moving winds and the dry end of the tail). Some residents in Nova Scotia (mostly in the central areas of the province) were left without power for up to two weeks, with a total of 700,000 Nova Scotians having lost power for some degree of extended time

Devastation from Hurricane Juan in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hurricane Bill might be little more than welcomed rained for the crops, but it might make Juan look like a gentle summer’s breeze too. If you’re not prepared for the worst and the worst happens, little can be done to dig yourself out of that situation. Be prepared, be safe, and at the very least you’ll know you’ll have done the right thing by yourself and your family. Keep checking The Weather Network and/or www.theweathernetwork.com (you can seaach your individual city or town) for updates as well, and when or if the power goes out, be sure to tune in to a local radio station for the latest weather reports and reports on your local area.