Port preparedness
Evacuation
Port Authority tasks
Post hurricane actions
Definitions
Brevard Co. Office of Emergency Management
U.S. Coast Guard storm plan

Introduction

A. Description of a Hurricane
Hurricanes are tropical cyclones in which winds exceed speeds of 73 miles per hour and blow in a large spiral around a relatively calm center - the eye of the hurricane. The circulation is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Stated very simply, hurricanes are giant whirlwinds in which air moves in a large tightening spiral around a center of extreme low pressure (usually, the lower the pressure, the more intense the storm and the higher the storm tides) reaching maximum velocity in a circular band extending outward 20 to 30 miles from the rim of the eye, where winds may gust to more than 200 miles per hour. The entire storm dominates the ocean surface and lower atmosphere over thousands of square miles.

The winds cause a barrage of debris; they sever communication lines and the broken power lines that whip are extremely dangerous torches. Hurricane winds also drive enormous surf before them and help the storm tides with the work of flooding.

Storm tides are a hurricane's worst killer. As the storm approaches and moves across the coastline, it brings huge surges raising tidal sea levels 10 to 20 feet or more above normal. The rise may come rapidly and produce flash flooding of coastal lowlands or may come in the form of giant waves. Hurricane storm tides do other types of damage. Flooding pollutes water supplies, cripples communications, shorts out power lines, causes sewers to back up and overflow, undermines structures and drastically compromises shipping channels and shorelines.

Torrential rains associated with hurricanes often causes widespread flooding even after the storm has moved inland and has begun to die.

B. Types of Hurricanes
All hurricanes are dangerous but some are more so than others. The way storm surge, wind and other factors combine determines the hurricane's destructive power. To make comparisons easier and to make the predicted hazards of approaching hurricanes clearer to emergency forces, NOAA's hurricane forecasters use a disaster potential scale, which assigns storms to five categories. Category 1 is a minimum hurricane; category 5 is the worst case. The criteria for each category are shown below:

Category 1 2 3 4 5

Winds (MPH) 74-95 96-110 111-130 131-155 >155

Surge (FT) 4 - 5 6 - 8 9 - 12 13 - 18 > 18

C. Hurricane Conditions

• Condition SEASON ALERT: June 1st to November 30th - Hurricane Season
This is an awareness condition automatically set at this time of the year.
• Condition WHISKEY: 72 hours prior to strike - Hurricane Watch
A planning condition indicating there is a hurricane in the Atlantic.
• Condition X-RAY: 48 hours prior to strike - Hurricane Watch A readiness condition indicating that a hurricane may strike the area that is forecasted.
• Condition YANKEE: 27 hours prior to strike - Hurricane Warning
An alert condition indicating that a hurricane will probably strike the area forecasted.
• Condition ZULU: Condition Zulu: 12 hours prior to strike - Hurricane Warning
A period of maximum advisories indicates a hurricane will strike in the area forecasted.
• All Clear: An advisory by NOAA that the hurricane has passed and is no further a threat.