Folks...."Sandy" is getting hyped something fierce -- especially locally. We're not in for a hurricane....we're not even in for a tropical storm. Wind gusts could reach 40-45 mph at & near the coast Fri. night-midday Sat. while inland wind gusts could reach 30 mph. Sustained winds will range from 20-30 mph at the beaches to 10-20 mph inland. The beaches will be in for a beating with some beach erosion & coastal flooding, especially at times of high tide.
The rip current risk should be taken very seriously -- it'll be downright dangerous to get in the ocean. Boaters should also beware as the ocean will obviously be a mess but even the St. Johns River will be rough. But in the end "Sandy" will be much more like a good ol' Nor'easter for the First Coast. There will be rain bands pinwheeling west towards the
coast with the big question being how far west. Looks like the coast could see some heavy rain with amounts dwindling quickly as you move inland. And it appears the back edge of the rain will exit west to east by midday Sat. Keep up-to-date on the latest forecasts as there will be a jog to the west Fri.-Fri. night, & the turn northeast will be critical as to the magnitude of effects on the First Coast. Click here to go to "Talking the Tropics With Mike" for a more indepth discussion of the tropics.
This storm reminds me a lot of the strong hurricane, "Wilma" in Oct. 2005. "Wilma" hit Fl. on Oct. 24th & was followed by a shot of chilly autumn air. "Sandy" won't make a direct hit on Fl. but will be followed by a major chill that will send temps. to near record lows by the middle of next week.
From the Insurance Information Institute:
There is a wealth of information on insurance and hurricanes on the I.I.I. website, including the following:
§ Facts and Statistics: Hurricanes; Flood Insurance -- click here.
§ Issues Updates: Hurricane and Windstorm Deductibles - click here; Catastrophes and Insurance Issues -- click here.
§ Consumer Information: Hurricane Preparedness -- click here.
§ Disaster Planning: Free Software and Apps -- click here.
Wind damage from both tropical storms and hurricanes is covered under standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies.
Flood damage is generally not covered under standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies. Flood coverage is available both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and some private insurance companies. Flood insurance covers losses resulting from heavy or prolonged rain, coastal storm surge and failure of levees or dams. The NFIP provides coverage for up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and $100,000 for personal possessions and $500,000 for a commercial structure and $500,000 for contents. Excess flood insurance, for coverage above and beyond the limits available from the NFIP, is available from private insurers.
Damage to cars from wind and flooding is covered under the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy; it is an optional coverage, although more than 75 percent of all Americans choose to purchase it.
For a Fl. hurricane insurance "fact file", click here.
