EDITOR'S NOTES: Odds are hurricanes headed our way  

Hurricane Matthew in the fall of 2016 was my first hurricane.

I know, worse storms have pounded the East Coast, but we had just moved to the Charleston, South Carolina, area the previous year and seemed to have missed any of the “big ones.”

Then Matthew came along.

As a journalist, I was “exempt” from any evacuation orders. That’s in quotation marks because I was only exempt depending on which law enforcement agency I happened to encounter.

I always get a kick out of watching broadcast news folks standing out in the storm as they get battered by cats-and-dog rain. That may make for great TV, but as a newsroom manager, I want my team far away from danger.

As a relative newcomer to the area — and a recent single-wide community resident — I’ve been keeping a close watch on Atlantic weather forecasts. A few times a day I pop onto the National Hurricane Center’s website just to see what may be brewing out there in the Atlantic.

So far, there have been a few tropical waves, which has nothing to do with ocean waves, but is a weather phenomenon considered to be the earliest state of tropical storms. When tropical storms develop at sea, there is a chance they could develop into a hurricane — assuming all other conditions are right.

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acknowledged that “oceanic conditions still favor an above-normal 2022 Atlantic hurricane season,” according to NOAA’s annual mid-season update issued on Aug. 4.

NOAA forecasters are calling for 14-20 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes and 3-5 major hurricanes.

Here is another fun fact: North Carolina has been hit by more than 50 hurricanes since the mid-1800s, making it the third most hurricane-prone state in the Country. And while it’s anyone’s guess what we can expect from this season, history shows we’re likely to be a target this year as well.

“I urge everyone to remain vigilant as we enter the peak months of hurricane season,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The experts at NOAA will continue to provide the science, data and services needed to help communities become hurricane resilient and climate-ready for the remainder of hurricane season and beyond.”

While we are now 10 weeks into hurricane season without any hurricane threats, we are far from making it through the end of November unscathed.

With that in mind, and the fact that I now live in a home that may or may not float, I’d urge that we get ready, you know, just in case.

A good place to start is a list provided by the Red Cross. I’ve shared this before, and you’ll probably see this list again in one form or another here in The Robesonian.

Here is their short list:

• Build an emergency kit that will last everyone in your family at least three days.

• Talk with household members and create an evacuation plan and practice it.

• Learn about the community’s hurricane response plan.

Here are a few that I’ll add from experience.

• Know where you’re going to go when the evacuation order comes.

• Get the car tuned up and keep it full of gas and ready to go.

• Have enough cash on hand to get you wherever you need to go to find high ground and shelter.

• If you plan to stick around, fill your outdoor grill’s propane tanks now. And maybe pick up an extra tank now before they disappear.

• Put up three days worth - or more - of drinking water. We use those clear 5 gallon jugs and keep them in an out-of-the-way closet.

Stay safe this season.

David Kennard, who plans to bug out when the weather turns blustery, is the executive editor of The Robesonian. Contact him at dkennard@robesonian.com.