Article August 30, 2010 Issue

SAFE IN HURRICANE SEASON

BY JUDY SPIERS

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE'S HURRICANE SEASON IS expected to run through October of this year. To those living on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the prospects of damage may seem harrowing—especially amid reports that storms could cause serious delays in BP's oil spill cleanup.

At one time, my husband and I might have felt there was little we could do. That's changed.

My husband, Mark, and I live in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, which is known for moderate weather. One day, meteorologists forecast winds of 85–100 miles an hour in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains where we live. That got our attention. Although it was windy by the time we went to bed, it seemed no worse than it would normally be in a storm. We were about to learn we were wrong.