Hurricanes... From Too Much Water to Not Enough

Regardless of whether they make landfall as Category 1 or Category 5, hurricanes can cause massive amounts of destruction, injuries, and deaths.

And the infrastructure problems do not disappear as soon as the storm passes. Restoring electrical power for homes and businesses can take days, if not weeks. 

Repairs often need to be made to bridges and roads following a hurricane. As well as to electrical power poles and substations. 

Those are major inconveniences. But an even more pressing problem often occurring during and after a hurricane is the contamination of the water supply.

Catastrophic Hurricane Ian Left Its Mark

Such was the case in Florida last year after Hurricane Ian devastated the state's west coast. The third costliest weather disaster on record ($113 billion) was the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since 1935.

The Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 miles per hour was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018. It caused 149 deaths in Florida and damage in the Carolinas. 

Ian made landfall in Lee County near Fort Myers, Florida. More than 2.4 million people lost power in the Sunshine State.

The hurricane caused a storm surge of 10 to 15 feet, resulting in catastrophic damage to the area before moving across the state and into the Atlantic Ocean. It then strengthened again and slammed into the Carolinas, where hundreds of thousands lost power. 

Water Systems Break Down With Power Outages

One of the biggest ironies with hurricanes is that at first there is far too much water for safety, but once that water dissipates, there is often far too little that's safe for using. 

Water systems break down due to storm surge and other factors. That's mainly due to the fact that they are dependent on electrical power to run properly, and power is frequently the first casualty of a severe storm.

But even when those systems survive intact, water often becomes contaminated by impurities washed into the system. Boil orders are usually put into place immediately, but boiling water does not remove all contaminants.

Bacteria and some other impurities can be removed by boiling water, but other contaminants such as heavy metals can't be. Plus, faucets in homes and businesses are not always working properly following a hurricane.

Ian's Wrath Crushed Lee County

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Florida, entire regions were given water advisories and boil orders. FEMA shipped in millions of water bottles and meals, but it wasn't immediate. Transportation was negatively affected by damage from the storm. 

Lee County suffered the worst of it. The badly damaged water system was used by some 760,000 residents, who were forced to find alternative water sources until clean water arrived.

Some patients had to be removed from Lee County hospitals due to water system breaks resulting in the lack of clean water. 

The Florida Division of Emergency Management then set up water tanks at the hospitals and ferried 20,000 gallons of clean water five times a day to three different hospitals.

Farther inland, one of the biggest problems was pushing wastewater to local treatment plants because lift stations were without power.    

What Will the 2023 Season Bring?

What does the 2023 hurricane season look like? It's too early to tell – and predictions are not always accurate – but so far it's looking like a fairly typical season from June through November.

And that can spell trouble because even an "average" hurricane season can be highly destructive and deadly.

Colorado State University weather experts say the likely development of El Niño could actually result in a slightly less active than normal hurricane season.

AccuWeather forecasters are predicting between 11 and 15 named storms this season, and that four to eight will reach hurricane strength. They also prognosticate that between one and three of those storms will reach the devastating Category 3 status. 

Dan Kottlowski is an AccuWeather senior meteorologist and hurricane expert. He said, "Even if this season were to turn out to be less active than normal, abundant warm water could lead to the development of a couple of very strong hurricanes, as we saw with Ian."

Here's How to Keep It Cleaner

And that's one of the reasons it's crucial to have a way to filter water in your home, regardless of where you live. 

That's what the Patriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System can do for you. This remarkable system targets 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. Plus toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals.

No matter what the weather is like outside, you can provide your family with a nearly endless supply of cleaner, better-tasting water inside. And you can do it without batteries, electricity, or water pressure.

Featuring a sturdy 2.25-gallon tank, this water filtration system is easy to set up. You can keep it on your kitchen countertop to use every day. But it's portable enough to bug-out or evacuate in a pinch. So you'll always have a source of cleaner, better-tasting water wherever you go. Even when the store shelves are empty.

Here's how to get your Patriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration System...