By Peter Vankevich
As hurricane season began, Erik Heden, warning coordination meteorologist with the Newport/Morehead City National Weather Service, visited Ocracoke on June 11 and gave a presentation at the Ocracoke Community Center on hurricane preparedness.
He was also a guest on WOVV’s “What’s Happening on Ocracoke.”
Heden noted that, despite common misconceptions that the season winds down after Labor Day, peak hurricane season is around Sept. 10 and that historically significant storms on the Outer Banks have occurred well into October.
While early forecasts indicate a potentially less active Atlantic hurricane season this year due to a strong El Nino pattern, Heden reminded residents that it takes only one storm to cause considerable damage and disruption, making preparedness essential every year.
Heden emphasized preparing for both before and after a major storm. For early preparation, he engaged the audience by asking what steps should be taken for an approaching hurricane. Answers from islanders included batteries, backup power chargers for computers and phones, adequate drinkable water and ice and making sure vaccinations are up to date.
An evacuation plan should be drawn up by studying the expected direction of the storm and, for some, finding a place that takes pets.
Heden also suggested getting supplies now rather than waiting until the last few days as store shelves may be bare by then.
One of the takeaways he stressed is not to judge a hurricane based on the category alone. The most dangerous factors and causes of most fatalities are water-related hazards such as rip currents and storm surges as occurred on Ocracoke with Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.
Nearly half of fatalities that occur after a storm has passed are due to drownings, from a loss of electricity, accidents and lack of emergency medical care, he said.
People should be alert for downed power lines and contaminated flood waters.
The presentation covered the importance of using reliable sources for weather information, avoiding hype on social media, and relying on official sites like weather.gov and hurricanes.gov for accurate storm updates.
Heden urged everyone to prepare a hurricane kit, make evacuation plans, and consider their personal circumstances and vulnerabilities when planning for hurricanes. He emphasized the importance of community awareness and preparedness to mitigate the impacts of hurricanes effectively.
The National Weather Service has a long history in Eastern North Carolina, dating back to 1874, and became known as it is today in 1970.
Assisting in the presentation were Jake Kasitz, the current NOAA Ernest F. Hollings intern and undergraduate at Mississippi State University, and a former Hollings intern Isabella Kemp.
