Is Hurricane Sandy "The Perfect Storm"?

Hurricane Sandy is making national headlines in the United States because of its proximity to the East Coast, and the possibility of a strong landfall. But that isn't the only reason it remains in the news.
Meterologists have identified a number of similar characteristics between Hurricane Sandy and The Halloween Nor'easter of 1991, known in popular parlance as "The Perfect Storm".

Courtesy of NOAA

Nor'easters are very similar in characteristic to Hurricanes. It usually describes a low-pressure area where the rotating center is off the East Coast, providing hurricane-force high winds, rain or snow, coastal erosion, and possibly even blizzard conditions.  


Is Hurricane Sandy "The Perfect Storm"?

The simple answer is: no one knows.

As of today (roughly 5 days out), there is no certainty that this storm will even make landfall. By Saturday and Sunday, we should have a pretty good idea what is next.

The National Weather Service put out a three page statement with a lot of jargon that you and I are unlikely to understand without an advanced degree in meterology. However, as a business owner, this is perhaps the only relevant passage [caps are in original]:

"IT IS LIKELY THAT SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS WILL BE FELT OVER PORTIONS OF THE U.S. EAST COAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK."

So how do you prepare for "The Perfect Storm"?

Don't let the verbiage of it being a supposed "Perfect Storm" scare you into thinking this is the disaster to end all disasters.

Keep a few things in mind:

1. Only the National Weather Service can declare Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings. Here is where to find those:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCVAT3+shtml/251446.shtml

2. Storms change their track quickly. The computers and satellites are constantly updating it. This is the current picture:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/115907.shtml?5-daynl#contents
 
3. Storms change their power rankings daily. It may be predicted to be a stronger or weaker storm based upon modifications in temperature or cloud drift.

As a business owner, don't wait to the last minute! Start gearing up your facility for Sandy. Even if she doesn't make landfall, you can chalk it up to a realistic exercise where you can test your disaster plan.




If you want day-by-day (and hour-by-hour) tips on what to do leading up to the storm, follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hytropy

Patrick Hardy