Hurricanes and Evacuations

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HURRICANES AND HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE IF ONE COMES TO CORPUS CHRISTI

What is a hurricane?

Hurricane (n): violent, tropical, cyclonic storm of the western North Atlantic, having wind speeds of or in excess of 72 miles per hour (120 km/hour)

Also known as a cyclone (in the southern hemisphere) or a typhoon (in the Pacific and China seas)

Hurricane Ivan, 2004, Category 5Cape Verde, Jamaica, United States

Why should I worry about hurricanes? Corpus Christi in on the coast of

the Gulf of Mexico. We are often threatened by tropical storms and hurricanes.

The last hurricane to hit Corpus Christi was Hurricane Celia in 1970. It caused $930 million in damage. 27 people died.

Interesting note: TAMUCC was established after Hurricane Celia destroyed the University of Corpus Christi. UCC could not afford to rebuild, and the land was sold to the state. TAMUCC was established by the state in 1971, though it would not open for several more years.

Okay, so what is evacuation? Evacuation (n): the removal of

people and things from an endangered area.

Hurricanes kill people. In 2005, an estimated 1,883 people died during and after Hurricane Katrina, mostly because they failed to evacuate New Orleans.

In contrast, Hurricane Rita, which hit shortly after Katrina and was a stronger storm, killed 120 people, mainly due to evacuation of coastal cities.

Damage from Hurricane Katrina

People evacuating before a hurricane

Yikes! Okay, I’ll go. What do I do? Stay calm! Don’t freak out. Watch the weather channel or local news to see what the

storm is doing. If you have a car, fill it with gas and keep it full. There will

be long lines in case of evacuation. Plan ahead! Decide now what you will do. If you have

friends or family who do not live on the coast (don’t go to Houston!), see if they will let you stay. You can also set aside money for a hotel, but make sure you call to reserve a room before you leave town.

Call your family and let them know what you are going to do! Keep in touch with them so they will not be afraid.

If you are driving, follow the hurricane evacuation route signs, like the one to the left. The roads will be strange during an evacuation, so it’s important to pay attention.

What if I don’t have somewhere to go?

If you don’t have anywhere to go and you live on campus, you will be taken to TAMIU in Laredo. You will be staying in a large room like the one pictured, so it’s best to find someone to stay with!

No matter what you plan to do, you MUST tell ESLI what your hurricane plan is!

http://esli-intl.com/emergency/tamucceinfo.php

What should I take with me? Passport and visa I-20 I-94 Health insurance card ID cards and driver’s license (if you have

one) Emergency phone numbers Water, snacks, clothing, and toiletries for

3 days Photographs, books, laptop, jewelry,

anything of value Medicine (with prescriptions)

What about my stuff at home? You will have to leave things behind. This is

hard to do! To protect your things, there are some precautions you can take: Put your computer, TV, and other

electronic device on a table or desk. Wrap them in a plastic garbage bag to keep them from getting wet.

If you have things outside (bicycle, trash bin, grill), bring them in, or make sure they will not blow around.

Unplug EVERYTHING from the wall sockets. This will protect them from electricity surge.

Do you have children? Be sure to bring their important

papers, like shot records, birth certificates, etc.

Bring plenty of diapers and baby food or formula. For older children, have lots of snacks on hand.

Bring toys, games, and books to help keep children entertained.

Bring lots of clothes for children, especially babies. Be sure to have something warm for them to wear, as well as something in case it is very warm or hot.

How will I know if I should leave? When there is a hurricane in the Gulf

of Mexico, you will hear about it from your teachers.

If Corpus Christi is in the predicted path of the hurricane, you should start to prepare. Being in the “cone of uncertainty” does not mean we will get hit.

The closer the hurricane comes to making landfall, the more your teachers will talk about it. It will be on the news. TAMUCC will send out an alert when the decision is made to close campus, and when it is time to evacuate. ESLI will also post info frequently.

Where can I go for more information? http://esli-intl.com/emergency/tamucceinfo.php http://safety.tamucc.edu/ http://www.srh.weather.gov/crp/ http://

www.srh.noaa.gov/images/crp/tropics/2013Guide/2013_Coastal_Bend_Guide.pdf

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php

See the TAMUCC hurricane evacuation plan for emergency contact information.