NHC: Key Messages As Potential Tropical Storm Aims At Florida

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While it may not look like much now, the tropical depression currently along the south coast of Cuba is expected to be nearing hurricane strength when it takes a swipe at the big bend region of Florida in about 48 hours. 

From the 5 am discussion from the National Hurricane Center:

This system may well have significant impacts along the Georgia and Carolina coasts early next week as well. Right now it appears that it will pass about 100 miles to my west, making it primarily a rain event for me.  

The 5 am Key Messages from the NHC:

Although a major storm is not expected, there will be impacts, including coastal flooding, inland (freshwater) flooding, and power outages.  Those in the path of the storm should be completing their preparations today, as conditions will deteriorate on Sunday. 

As we've discussed many times, the dangers from these tropical systems often increase in the days and weeks after the storm has passed, due to injuries or illness that occur during the `recovery' period.
Some of the many dangers include:

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (see CDC HAN 00415: Hurricane Florence — Clinical Guidance For Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning)
• Food poisoning (see A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes)
• Chain saw accidents (see Preventing Chain Saw Injuries During Tree Removal After a Disaster)
• Toxic mold and mildew (see CDC Mold After a Disaster).
• The CDC maintains a web page on the dangers of Flood Waters or Standing Waters.
• And even psychological impacts (including PTSD) (see Sandy 1 Year Later: Coping With The Aftermath)

Quite often these storms leave tens of thousands - sometimes even millions - of people without power for days or even weeks.  

As a Floridian, who has gone through this many times, I maintain several ways to generate (limited) emergency power (see How Not To Swelter In Place).

For more preparedness information I would invite you to visit:

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/
AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/