Those of us who live in Florida are used to the onslaught of weather that comes with the beginning of every Hurricane Season. The rains ramp up, and we are almost guaranteed a daily shower sometime in the afternoon. Last year, we saw some big, destructive storms in the Atlantic. What can we look forward to this year? The start of this season came with a bit of a vengeance with a named storm rearing its head before the official hurricane season. Although the first storm came and left quickly, there are those that are claiming this will be a quieter year. Compared to last year’s 17 named storms, and 6 major hurricanes, it is predicted that we will only have 12 named storms and 2 major hurricanes. However, this is just a prediction, and we should not strictly rely on them.
We prepare our personal lives for a hurricane, we should also work towards securing what we can on site as well. Construction sites contain a lot of potential projectiles that can easily cause harm to other property, or even other people. There are a few things to keep in mind for your construction sites going into this hurricane season. First and foremost is to have a plan of action for when the storm comes. It is important to not be caught scrambling during the countdown phase. Being able to easily secure your site is also important. Keeping a neat and tidy site goes a long way in making hurricane readiness a much less stressful job.
In terms of stormwater, we recommend preparing your BMPs for the coming weather prior to the storm to minimize on-site and off-site impacts. Removing inlet protection, positioning silt fence and other perimeter controls, and discharging water from ponds can help to prevent potential flooding, and ensuring your SWPPP book is safely indoors are just a few things to consider when preparing for a hurricane.
For a more in-depth list of hurricane preparedness ideas, be sure to check out KCI’s previous blog post on getting ready for a hurricane. After the storm, KCI is on the job to complete your NPDES inspections as soon as possible to help itemize and consult on any issues that need to be fixed. Keep in mind, that throughout this entire process, safety should be everyone’s number one goal.
