Preparing For Floods In The Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season begins each year on the 1st of June and ends on the 30th of November, with the most active portion of the season occurring between August and October. During this time, the weather services often predict the number of storms and hurricanes that are likely to occur but hesitate to determine the number of hurricanes to make landfall and the severity with which they will strike. Since a hurricane or storm is characterized by much rain and the possibility of flooding, being prepared for the challenges associated with water safety and usability, during that time, can become an all important consideration.
So as states located along the Gulf Coast, the Southern Atlantic coast and the Northeastern coast prepare themselves to weather any upcoming threats, here are some ways that they can prepare themselves to handle any incidents of large scale flooding that may occur during such a natural disaster.
Proper filtration
Storm waters usually contain a variety of contaminates. These can be microscopic but can also be more visible through the turbidity of the water from the addition of top soil and silt. Larger solids and debris are often in these waters as well, and they can make their way into some unlikely places, such as the subway, as was seen in the case of Hurricane Sandy in New York in 2012. When this happens, there must be proper filtration systems in place to protect the pumps from damage when they are used to pump the waters out from these areas.
The same is true for the filtration systems and separators in the submersible pumps that are are used in the municipal plants and residential water wells. However, both the filters as well as the rate at which the water is allowed to enter the pumps are important, so that the silt and debris are not given a chance to overwhelm the system and threaten their effectiveness as was seen in the Colorado floods in 2013.
Proper infrastructure
Part of the recovery following a major disaster comes from the aftermath of the damage that as been done to the infrastructure by wind and flood waters. Rushing water and the large debris it can contain can loosen hardware, dislodge infrastructure, materials and equipment and distort buildings and support systems. However, these need to be structurally sound in order to withstand the rigors of such an onslaught during a natural disaster. Unfortunately, America's infrastructure has been given a failing D+ rating by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and it is estimated that the funds to upgrade them will climb to approximately $3.6 trillion by 2020.
Taking steps to tackle infrastructural issues at both the state and federal levels can help offset the potential damage and recovery efforts that would need to be made following each disaster. For more information about filtration, visit PFC Equipment, Inc.