We’re continuing our series on Severe Weather Awareness Week to help you understand the weather phenomena that affect us here in Florida.
Thursday’s focus is on hurricanes and flooding. Specifically, why does Florida get so many hurricanes? and what makes them so dangerous?
Florida is surrounded by warm water and has a very flat surface. So, when a hurricane churns up and brings water in, flooding is more prominent.
To put this in perspective, 145 hurricanes and 164 tropical storms have impacted Florida dating back to 1851.
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Another fact you should keep in your back pocket is that 40% of hurricanes in the United States make landfall in Florida.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season starts June 1 and ends Nov. 20 — although storms can form as early as May and as late as December.
It’s worth noting that over 90% of hurricane fatalities are directly related to drowning in storm surge or flooding.
That’s where the flooding ties in.
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As we see more people moving to Florida, you’ll notice that a lot of the natural land is being turned into apartments, parking lots, pavement, etc., and that makes way for more flooding in our area.
Remember “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” The National Weather Service has a warning for drivers: Never drive through flooded roadways, as you don’t know the condition of the road under the water.
Driving through flooded waters can be fatal.