preparation

 

Hurricane History On The Gulf Coast
What We've Learned
By David P. Daniell

Thankfully, the hurricane season of 2006 was a relatively quiet one along our stretch of paradise. But, hurricane season 2007 is just around the corner, and the board of directors of every condominium association must
be prepared.

Below is a history of hurricane activity along the Alabama/Perdido Key Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Gulf Coast as well as an explanation on why associations must be vigilant in their preparations.

Spanish Is Not New Along Our Coast
Throughout the 16th century, the Spanish repeatedly attempted to establish settlements on the Northern Gulf Coast, only to be frustrated by hurricane activity.

7 Ways To Get Ready 1. Annually evaluate adequacy of reserves and insurance coverages. 2. Maintain lines of credit to provide emergency cash needs. 3. Develop and maintain “first response” relationships with attorneys, engineers, loss consultants, contractors and management companies. 4. Maintain insurance policies, appraisals, plans and specifications for the building off site for immediate access post storm. 5. Maintain an updated photographic record of facilities. 6. Designate an emergency response committee to respond to severe weather events. 7. Plan ahead for architectural changes to the building, which may be desirable if substantial damage occurs.

Spanish Conquistador Panifo de Narvaez, his five vessels and 250 men were struck by a hurricane on Oct. 23, 1527, causing Narvaez to abandon his expedition. Accordingly, he missed the discovery of the mouth of the Mississippi, which remained “undiscovered” for another 155 years until a Frenchman named LaSalle spotted it.

Thirty years later, Tristan de Luna y Arellano, another Spanish conquistador, sailed from Vera Cruz, Mexico, and anchored at the current site of Naval Air Station Pensacola. On Sept. 19, 1559, a hurricane destroyed most of the ships and cargo, and de Luna’s attempt at settlement was abandoned, The area was not populated again by Europeans until 1698, when the Spanish finally founded Pensacola.

The 20th Century
The 20th century witnessed three periods of significant hurricane activity along the Alabama/Perdido Key and Mississippi Gulf Coast areas, starting out with a bang between 1906 and 1926.

On Sept. 27, 1906, a Category 4 hurricane struck the area, causing tremendous property damage, beaching oceangoing vessels on the streets of downtown Mobile, and leaving 134 people dead in Pensacola.

On July 15, 1916, a significant hurricane struck the coast, its eye passing directly over Fort Morgan, Ala. On Oct. 18, 1916, Pensacola received a direct hit by a second hurricane.

Ten years later, a Category 3 storm made landfall at Perdido Beach, Ala., on Sept. 20, 1926, again causing significant damage from Mobile to Pensacola, with exceptional flooding in Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama.

These hurricanes became locally known as the “Great Six” hurricanes, occurring on the sixth year of three consecutive decades.

From 1927 until 1969, hurricane activity in the area was milder.

The next major hurricane was Hurricane Camille, a Category 5 storm, and the strongest land-falling hurricane recorded. Winds were recorded at 190 mph along the coast of Mississippi, The devastation of Hurricane Camille inspired the use of the Saffir-Simpson Scale (measuring hurricane intensity on a scale of 1-5) utilized today.

On Sept. 12, 1979, Hurricane Frederic a Category 3 storm, caused substantial damage in Mobile County, Ala. Making landfall at Dauphin Island, the storm virtually cut the island in half.

The area was lightly brushed by Hurricane Elena in 1985, and only minor storm activity continued until 1995. That year, Hurricane Erin, a Category 2 storm, moved inland near Pensacola on Aug. 3. Erin was followed by Category 3 Hurricane Opal on Oct. 4, 1995, which made landfall near Santa Rosa Island, Fla. Storm surges were recorded up to 20 feet.

Hurricane Danny made landfall south of Point Clear, Ala., on July 19, 1997. The rain totals were recorded at 36.71 inches.

Category 2 Hurricane Georges came ashore on Sept. 28, 1998, near Biloxi, Miss., with a storm surge of 12 feet recorded near Fort Morgan.

From 1999 until 2004, the area again saw little activity until Hurricane Ivan, a Category 3 storm, landed near Gulf Shores, Ala., on Sept. 16, 2004. A storm surge of 12 feet was measured in Escambia Bay, Fla.

Hurricane Dennis made landfall near Navarre Beach, Fla., on July 10, 2005. Dennis was followed by Hurricane Katrina, the costliest U.S. disaster on record, on Aug. 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina produced a 27-foot storm surge measured in Hancock County, Miss. The highest surge recorded during Katrina in Mobile Bay was measured at 12 feet at the USS Alabama Battleship Park along U.S. Interstate 10 in Mobile.

Predicting The Future
Statistical information is available concerning the frequency of hurricane activity and its local effect. The website www.hurricanecity.com provides information concerning expected frequency of hurricanes, organized by municipality.

Statistically, www.hurricanecity.com suggests that Mobile is affected by hurricane activity every 3.2 years, with a direct hit every 10.38 years. Pensacola is similarly affected every 2.9 years, with direct hits every 7.94 years.

What Does This Mean To Your Association?
The board of directors of every condominium association is charged with looking forward to insure that the association is prepared for the next storm event, that adequate reserves and financial resources to address these events are available, and that each successive board is prepared for these trials.

Infrequency of severe activity may cause an association to become lax in funding reserves and maintaining effective hurricane and disaster preparation. But condominium boards of directors must set up procedures to address disasters, and these procedures and their effectiveness should be reviewed annually to insure that up-to-date information is available, records are properly maintained, and appropriate mechanisms are in place to address storm events at all times. Continuity is the key to effective preparation.

David P. Daniell is a partner in the law firm of Daniell, Upton, Perry & Morris, P.C. Based in Spanish Fort, Ala., the firm is engaged in a regional practice with emphasis on litigation in the areas of personal injury, property, products liability, construction, commercial and condominium law.

One City's Response The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will officially start June 1 and last until Nov. 30. It is during this period of time that most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. Forecasts of hurricane activity are issued prior to each season by noted hurricane experts Philip J. Klotzbach, Dr. William M. Gray and their associates at Colorado State University, and separately by forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). On Dec. 8, 2006, Klotzbach’s team issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2007 season, predicting above-average activity, with 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, three of which are forecast to be Category 3 or higher. The team predicted a 64 percent chance of at least one major hurricane striking the U.S. mainland, which included a 40 percent chance of at least one major hurricane strike on the East Coast of the United States, including the Florida peninsula, and a 40 percent chance of at least one major hurricane strike on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Panhandle westward. For more information on the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, log on to the National Hurricane Center at www.nhc.noaa.gov.