There was some good news recently for residents of Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico, who endured a brutal hurricane season in September 2017.

According to a seasonal outlook from The Weather Company, released in late June, Americans can expect a below-average number of tropical cyclones this hurricane season.

But the report also predicted 11 named storms and four hurricanes now through November, including two major storms that could become Category 3 or higher.

That amounts to a storm packing wind speeds of at least 111 miles per hour.

While it’s good news to hear that the nation’s meteorologists are predicting an uneventful hurricane season after a highly active one in 2017, it’s always a smart idea to be prepared, just in case.

The busy storm season in September 2017 caught a lot of people unaware, and led to considerable damage and widespread power outages. So being prepared by stocking up on necessary supplies and taking crucial precautions is a smart move.

It’s also important to think about what you’re going to do in the event of a widespread power outage. That’s why the GreenLiFE Battery LiFePO4 is ideal for all your stored energy needs.

This is your perfect home energy storage backup and emergency power source, and the LiFePO4 holds charges longer, which means your power stays on even if storms hit.

These batteries are also better for running appliances and equipment, providing you with a more consistent voltage.

So if you’re casting a wary eye on the storm season that started on June 1, consider the benefits of having a strong and reliable backup power source for your home.

 

How Bad Was the 2017 Storm Season?

 

It all happened in September.

A year ago, several southern states, including Texas, Louisiana and Florida, got hit by two very powerful hurricanes. First came Harvey, the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961. It became the longest-lasting named storm on record, continuing for 117 hours after making landfall in Texas.

In addition to heavy wind damage, Harvey also produced 60.58 inches of rain in Nederland, Texas, causing severe flooding.

Next came Hurricane Irma, which struck Florida with winds of 185 miles per hour, making it the strongest Atlantic storm on record. Irma spent 3.25 days as a Category 5 storm.

Finally there was Hurricane Maria, the first Category 4 to make landfall in Puerto Rico since 1932, and the strongest storm to make landfall there since 1928. The storm devastated the island’s power grid and plunged the entire island into darkness for months. Even today, nearly a year later, some communities still don’t have fully restored power.

Damaged homes, flooding, widespread power outages – it’s a scary proposition for anyone living in states prone to hurricanes.

And one of the best pieces of advice anyone can get is to be prepared, and early. It’s important to have a plan in place, even if meteorologists are not predicting a storm season as potent as 2017 was.

The biggest mistake anyone can make is to become complacent. It’s better to expect the unexpected and being prepare for what could become a worst-case scenarios.

This advice doesn’t just apply to individual homeowners and families. The same is true for businesses that employ plenty of workers and simply can’t afford to be shut down and out of operations due to a storm-related power outage.

Business owners and managers should also have a contingency plan in place in the event of an emergency, where every team member has a clear understanding of their roles in the days leading up to a potential disaster.

 

What Can Be Done to Protect Yourself During Storm Season?

 

Ever since Maria struck and caused so much lasting damage to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean has started developing a regional strategy to strengthen early warning systems across the islands. The goal is to improve the preparedness and the response to natural disasters.

The 2017 hurricane season was one of the worst on record in the Caribbean, causing hundreds of casualties and causing considerable damage not just to Puerto Rico, but also to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and St Martin.

Since then, the World Meteorological Organization has been working with regional partners like the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology to establish a strong regional strategy that increases local resources and makes much needed improvements to early warning systems.

But you don’t have to be living in the Caribbean to be concerned about Hurricane Season. Residents of Texas and Florida found that out.

For businesses, a good place to start would be to create a disaster plan outlining what to do before, during and after an emergency. Obviously, the company wants to make safety the top priority, which could include plans for sheltering or evacuating employees.

For families, it’s important to consider developing a family communication plan well. Do it in advance, and create a plan that ensures every family member can be reached when a storm is approaching.

It’s also important for individuals, families and businesses to have an emergency supply kit, and to create an inventory of your personal possessions, using a camera to take pictures or video of both the interior and exterior of your home in the event that the storm causes damage.

For businesses, having a data recovery and file backup plan is also important. Establish restoration and disaster-recovery tools for keeping your systems up and running.

Perform an extra onsite backup to ensure nothing gets lost in the event of a power outage. Cloud Disaster Recovery is a system that can protect your data in the cloud.

It’s also important to ensure your local backups are unplugged from power sources and secured someplace high and dry, away from possible floodwaters.

Most of all, consider the need for a generator to keep your power on in case of an outage. That can include a stationary generator that’s professionally-installed and switches on when needed.

You’re going to want the very best battery during a storm. Consider a lithium ion battery, which can be charged with solar power. It’s a lightweight option that’s been shown to have a high performance in both extreme heat and cold.

You can also use the Lithium Ion battery for any application that would require a single or multiple Lead Acid, GEL or AGM batteries. A GreenLiFE Lithium battery has built in protection circuits to prevent a short circuit, making them ideal to power boats, RVs, golf carts and other vehicles.

 

Conclusion

 

Hurricane Season can be a scary time. Even if you were lucky enough not to be one of the communities impacted by the storms in 2017, you know from news coverage of those storms just how bad it can get.

The one strong step you can take now is to be as fully prepared as possible for a major storm. And a good start would be to have lithium ion batteries to use in the event of a power outage.

The bottom line is that lithium ion batteries are an indispensable energy storage system.

GreenLiFE batteries are superior products that surpass industry standards and far exceed customer and client expectations. They’re also designed with an explosion proof stainless steel casing, flame retardant electrolyte and a thermal fuse.

Each battery also has a patented internal Battery Management System that prevents over/under charging and shorting out.

GreenLiFE also offers a 5 Year Warranty on most GLi batteries, one of the best warranties on the market.

To learn more, contact GreenLiFE Battery at 888-522-2883 or by email at sales@greenlifebattery.com.