The only place to go for real time live updates back in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew caused chaos throughout South Florida was TV and radio – if you were lucky enough to still have power. Indeed, weather man Bryan Norcross became a local legend after he provided live updates associated with Hurricane Andrew for 23 hours.

Today, our society has become very dependent on technology. We often turn to our cell phones, smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and other such devices to find out the latest news, current events, and other pertinent information. Therefore, it stands to reason that if a hurricane were to strike South Florida that we would all turn to our many devices for the latest news and information.

But what happens if your primary source for information is your iphone but your iphone is dead and there is no place to re-charge it? That is a primary concern for many as hurricane season gets under say.

All that reliance on technology begs the question whether or not our infrastructure is set up to handle all that demand should a storm strike South Florida. To handle that load, wireless carriers are turning to time-tested disaster plans – but on an exponential scale.

But will it be enough to handle the 600,000 South Florida households without land lines, plus the seemingly endless appetite to Tweet, Facebook and upload video of the broken trees, gasoline lines, and broken roadways? No one will know for sure until storm hits.

However, the ravaging storms, and tornadoes, that ripped through the Midwest earlier this year provided a sneak preview of what we can expect here in South Florida should a hurricane strike us.

In that part of the country, Facebook became a critical channel to finding lost family members and asking for help. Moreover, with Internet connections down for several days, many in that part of the country turned to wireless telephones for news. Many more also turned to Twitter to spread the word of where to find supplies and emergency stations. The tweets involving emergency stations even included areas where folks could recharge their wireless devices, including cell phones.

It should also be noted that with hurricane season upon us, and should a hurricane strike South Florida, many South Floridians will turn to many new apps for purposes of both tracking the storm and dealing with the storm’s aftermath. But that obviously means that many of us will rely on technology more so today than we did in years past. In fact, cell phones are often times the only form of communication immediately after a hurricane strikes.

To prepare for that anticipated heavy usage, major wireless carriers say they have tested equipment and run simulations in South Florida. But while all the wireless carriers state that they are prepared in the event that a major hurricane strikes South Florida, only time will truly tell.

Nonetheless, and in the event that a major hurricane does strike South Florida, the best advice that the major carriers offer is to use your wireless technology sparingly and only when necessary.

Simply put, go ahead and post something short on Facebook or Twitter send a text message, and then get off the phone. And don’t hesitate to contact us if your property is damaged.
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Before opening our law firm in 2006, our attorneys worked for some of the state’s, and nation’s, largest law firms, and worked representing the insurance companies for years. Our attorneys are now uniquely positioned to use that experience to assist individuals and businesses alike throughout Florida with their insurance claims. As a result, our attorneys are well versed in the impact insurance has on businesses, condominiums, and individuals alike. Our insurance litigation practice group is prepared to tackle your insurance claim.

Given our extensive experience litigating for, and against, insurance companies, our insurance litigation practice group is prepared to provide aggressive, efficient and effective representation on a broad spectrum of insurance claims in Florida for local, national, and international clients. We are prepared to advocate insurance claims at the pre-suit stage, trial, appellate and arbitration levels.

If you are facing a dispute over an insurance claim in Florida, contact Alvarez & Barbara, LLP, for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.

Call us today toll free at 1-866-518-2913 or at 305-263-7700.

The chances of South Florida getting hit by a hurricane in November is less than 5%.

Historically, only about 5% of all Atlantic tropical storm activity occurs after the 1st of November. On average, one tropical storm forms in November every other year, and a hurricane forms in November every five years.

There have been six recorded major hurricanes in November. They were Hurricane Michelle of 2001 (Cat. 4, 140 mph); Hurricane Lenny of 1999 (Cat 4, 150 mph); Hurricane Kate of 1985 (Cat 3, 120 mph); Hurricane Greta of 1956 (Cat 4, 140 mph); Hurricane 10 of 1932 (Cat 4, 135 mph); and Hurricane 7 of 1912 (Cat 3, 115 mph).

The most extraordinary November hurricane was “Wrong-Way Lenny”, which hit the northern Leeward Islands as a strong Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds on November 17-18, 1999. Lenny was the first storm to have an extended west-to-east track across the central and eastern Caribbean Sea in the 135-year Atlantic tropical cyclone record, and was the strongest November hurricane on record.

Hurricane Gordon was the deadliest November hurricane. It claimed 1122 lives in Haiti when it passed just west of the country as a tropical storm on November 13, 1994. Lenny claimed six lives in Costa Rica, five in the Dominican Republic, two in Jamaica, two in Cuba, and eight in Florida. Property damage to the United States was estimated at $400 million (1994 dollars), and was severe in Haiti and Cuba as well.

Three November hurricanes have hit the U.S.-an unnamed 1916 Category 1 hurricane that hit the Florida Keys, an unnamed 1925 Category 1 hurricane that struck Sarasota, Florida, and Hurricane Kate, which struck the Florida Panhandle on November 22, 1985.
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If you are facing a dispute over an insurance claim in Florida, contact Alvarez & Barbara, LLP at 305-263-7700 or toll free at 866-518-2913 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.

We’re all used to hurricanes being categorized on a scale from 1-5. However, we may have to learn a new scale that categorizes hurricanes from 0 to 5.99.

Although the National Hurricane Center hasn’t stated whether they will endorse the new scale, the Integrated Kinetic Energy (“IKE”) scale may be a better predictor of potential destruction from both wind and storm surge. IKE was developed because the current system only takes into account wind speed. However, storm surge is the most devastating element of a hurricane.

For example, the current system rated Hurricane Katrina a Category 3 at landfall, but the surge came in at a Category 5 or higher. In essence, IKE provides a better way of determining the actual consequences from a storm because its takes into account more than just wind.

At the end of the day, it appears that IKE may provide a better way for us to understand potential damage caused by a hurricane. In turn, this allows everyone to better prepare for a windstorm.

We may never see this system being used in the mainstream, so take into account that the current scale doesn’t take into account storm surge. If you live in a coastal area, make sure to do your research and find out if your property can be damaged by surge.

Our Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer Blog offers safety tips and other advice to prepare you and your family for a hurricane. If you have not already done so, our Miami storm damage attorneys encourage you to make some basic preparations. Even the busiest among us can tackle hurricane preparation in stages, as we suggest on our Florida Insurance Claim Lawyer Blog. Our Miami Hurricane dispute lawyers are also prepared to assist you with any hurricane damage claim you may have against your insurance company.
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About the Author – Gabriel de las Salas is an attorney with the law firm of Alvarez & Barbara, LLP. His practice is focused on general civil and commercial litigation, including personal injury, insurance claims and real estate disputes. Mr. de las Salas received his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Florida, and his J.D., from Stetson University College of Law.