Our View: August is peak time for storm season

Later this week, the calendar will flip from July to August – a change that some regard as the official beginning of the end for the always-popular summer season.

But August’s arrival marks more than just children returning to school. It’s also the beginning of the peak for hurricane season, which means that you and your family should be sure to polish up your storm-related plans in the coming months in order to stay prepared in the event of a storm blowing into our area.

So far, the 2014 hurricane season has been a bit of a bore with just one named storm (Arthur) having formed over the warm salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Arthur brushed the East Coast, thankfully causing little destruction in its wake.

That trend is expected to continue throughout the rest of the season, as meteorologists tout that the 2014 hurricane season will be less active because of various trends in the climate that show that storm growth is not as favorable than in years past.

But with hurricanes, all it takes is one to wreck a community.

So this is why it’s time to pay attention and stay on high alert so that you’re not taken by storm if the activity begins to flare up.

Now is the time to map out an evacuate route for if your family plans to leave during a natural disaster.

When making this plan, be sure to map out destinations in all directions. This is, of course, because all storms are different. Depending on the direction in which the storm is approaching, your evacuation route will be different.

If it’s approaching from the East, going to Florida will not be as good an idea. If approaching from the West, going to Houston will not be as favorable.

Having destinations across the Gulf Coast and even to the North are not bad ideas just to cover all bases.

If planning to stay during a storm event, it’s time to stock up on emergency necessities like water, canned meats, Band-Aids and all of the other essentials. You guys know the drill. Everyone knows what is needed in hurricane situations.

But it’s better to shop early, because history shows that there’s nothing worse than being stuck in line at the store when the hurricane is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico and time is short.

So let’s just plan ahead and keep an eye on what’s going on in the tropics.

Make a plan and have it handy in case things pick up. It’s better to have a plan that’s never used than to not have a plan at all.