Hurricanes | Guilford County, NC

Hurricanes are intense tropical weather systems with well-defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher. When hurricanes move ashore, they sweep the ocean inward while spawning tornadoes and producing torrential rains and floods. Hurricanes are classified into categories according to sustained wind speed; the stronger the wind, the higher the category. However, flooding is what causes most hurricane damage, not the severe winds.

North Carolina’s coast is one of the nation’s areas most vulnerable to a direct hurricane strike due to its protruding coastline. But all areas of the state – from coastal and sound counties to the mountains – have been significantly impacted by hurricanes in the past 20 years. Heavy winds, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flooding, storm surge and landslides can all be triggered by hurricanes causing catastrophic damage.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30 with the peak season from mid-August to late October.

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To prepare for a hurricane:

Build an emergency kit and make a family emergency plan.
Monitor the weather reports, listening every hour as the storm approaches.
Put fuel in all vehicles and withdraw some cash from the bank. Gas stations and ATMs may be closed after a hurricane.
If authorities ask you to evacuate, do so promptly.
If you evacuate, be alert to flooded or washed-out roads. Just a few inches of water can float a car. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
Keep a photo I.D. that shows your home address. This may become important when asking law enforcement for permission to re-enter your neighborhood.
Secure your property:
- Bring inside all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
- Cover windows with permanent storm shutters or board up windows with 5/8” plywood, cut and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
- Trim trees and shrubs around your home so they are more wind resistant.
- Clear clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
- Reinforce garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.