‘Be ready': Louisiana Climatologist says above-average hurricane season likely
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana is less than a month away from hurricane season, and the state climatologist said an above-average stretch is likely.
'You need to be prepared,' said Jay Grymes, Louisiana's State Climatologist.
Early forecasts from Colorado State University and others suggest at least 15 named storms could impact the United States from June 1 to Nov. 30. A portion of those will develop to Louisiana's south.
'Five or six storms in the Gulf of Mexico means there's a pretty good chance Louisiana has to deal with one,' Grymes said.
Grymes said Louisiana is used to getting hammered by storms, and the state is doing a good job of getting the word out and responding when hurricanes make landfall. He said the last 24 years have spawned 29 named storms, which stands out when compared to previous stretches in the state's history.
'Twenty years is more than a blip,' Grymes said. 'The question becomes, is this the new norm?'
Some industries are beginning to adapt to the possibility that it is. Construction is one.
'It's all about being proactive, being prepared,' said Rachael Gauthier, a meteorologist for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety Research (IBHS) in South Carolina.
For more than a decade, IBHS scientists have studied how to strengthen building construction to handle strong storms. They run controlled tests against artificially-produced, hurricane-force winds, and they concluded the roof and garage door are the two biggest areas to focus on.
The nonprofit has a program called 'FORTIFIED,' which includes recommendations to strengthen buildings to withstand Mother Nature.
'A big, important part of the fortified roof is just keeping the rain out,' Gauthier said. 'It also includes other things like special nailing patterns to keep the roof attached to your house.'
Gauthier said a grant program called 'Louisiana Fortify Homes' could help qualified applicants afford to upgrade their roofs. People could pay as little as $500 under the right circumstances.
'If you qualify, you could receive up to $10,000 to upgrade your roof to a fortified roof,' Gauthier said.
Gauthier said some easy ways to prepare are to trim overhanging tree branches, seal up cracks around windows and doors, and clean the gutters.
'You want any rain that hits your roof and goes into those gutters to be able to travel away from your house,' Gauthier said.
Grymes said now is the time to start preparing.
'Be ready for at least one storm,' Grymes said.
'Be ready': Louisiana Climatologist says above-average hurricane season likely
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