The Hurricane Season of 2006—in the U.S., that is—was a dud. That is, if you like hurricanes, evacuations, insurance claims ...

The latest  from both government agency  and academic research  sources suggests that 2006 was a no-hurricane year thanks to El Niño. The change in oceans directly affects hurricanes, which are brewed in the air over the oceans. Naturally, next year promises to be a doozy.

The news report added: "No hurricanes hit the U.S. Atlantic coast in 2006—only the 11th time that has occurred since 1945."

Lull before the storm?

Posted by Charles at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Ernesto, Experts, Hurricanes, Katrina, Natural Disasters, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

Today is the 65th anniversary  of the attack on Pearl Harbor . That event is the general historical moment the U.S. entered the Second World War. That conflict created the recent, modern world with the U.S. in the driver's seat, a situation(with many, many caveats, of course) that has been altering for years. But the general historical moment when the world entered a new era will probably be the attack of September 11, 2001.

What have we got in those 60 years between historic events? Well, the U.S. went from World War to Cold War right away. The threat of complete destruction (by scientists arming soldiers) prompted the exploration of new territories—including outer space (soldiers driving new science). The expansion of technology got us to space and now we behold Mars , finally ready and willing to ="host our exploration">host our exploration.

Chuck Norris declares  the lesson of December 7, 1941—we are under constant attack and have to behave as such. That's a reasonable interpretation (with many, many caveats, of course) from a martial artist, where anticipation is the basis of response. But for all the weapons, there are many other kinds of explosions that affect ordinary people. Like the Milwaukee plant that abruptly blew up , or a freak tornado in London , of all places. With anticipation the basis of quick response, we are ready for explosions, attack or otherwise.

We individually can make our homes and our selves as tools against the big kablooey. Minnesotans were recently found the healthiest Americans , challenging the snobs who declare everyone between the coasts is grossly out of shape. Those least healthy? Louisianans, whose geography was recently, uh, totaled by natural disaster and hapless response. Collectively, we can monitor our use of the geography and try to find ways to achieve balance. The movie "Chinatown"  showed a corrupt elite in Los Angeles using public resources for private gain. Recently, L.A. is working to give back some of the water  they "stole" back when.

Treat yourself right as a way to keep your own health, of course—but also as a way to create a better social organism. A healthy, interconnected world. It might not usher in the epoch of peace and brotherhood, but it can sure postpone Armageddon .

Of course, there will be mistakes. You might have good intentions that fall a little short. But it's OK. We love ya for who you are, not what you ate for lunch! 

Posted by Charles at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Events, Katrina, Natural Disasters, Prepare, Remember, Tornadoes, Wells Fargo Bank

Hurricane experts have lowered expectations  for the remainder of this year's season in the Atlantic. Hurricane John , on the other hand, has been upgraded to Category 3 and looms over western Mexico. The upshot is it's hurricane season—some are rougher than others. One year Carolina, another year Baja ...

Are there lessons here? This week has seen a glut  of "Lessons of Katrina" media. The biggest issue is still the slow pace of rebuilding, and anger at government  as a result. But as I've written, there is another movement of people rebuilding their communities through communication as well as hammers and nails. The blogosphere from the Gulf coast  is thriving and doing great things bringing people toward a common goal .

Today I discovered HurricaneMind , whose aim is to collect people's thoughts as hurricanes threaten—and in real time, too. The blog is trying to build a wiki resource and real-time action and news. As people reckon their actions, they go to the blog and see what other people are thinking and how their choices are taking shape. It's instant communication with neighbors in the region. Movement to hardware stores, to evacuation routes and to shelters are spontaneously coordinated as a community of informed, prepared people forms.

It's "buzz." Not buzz about soft drinks or celebrity fashion, either. It's buzz about getting the kids to a safe place, about getting plywood or a hotel room. It's buzz about keeping the community whole, even as a Cat 5 comes howling in.

It could redefine the community and go macro, couldn't it? After a world community begins to emerge, we all band together with professor E.O. Wilson , whose new book  calls for a world community of science believers and non-believers alike to organize preparedness against man-made environmental tragedies . Wilson's call is this side of Utopia—salvation of endangered species means salvation for all life. And salvation is important to most every belief.

Think of it: a new paradigm for life on earth based on disaster preparedness. It's way too simple, isn't it?

Guided By History will take a break over the long Labor Day weekend. We'll be back Tuesday, September 5th.

Posted by Charles at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Ernesto, Floods, Get Involved, Hurricanes, Katrina, Natural Disasters, Participate, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

One year after Katrina  overtook the Gulf coast region and submerged New Orleans, media are rabid to do Anniversary pieces. (Guided By History was first with the story last week. Ahem.) As everyone seeks the high road, the upshot of all this reporting is the courage of the people and their rebuilding efforts , and the singular importance of preparedness .

New Orleans and the other Gulf areas slammed by Katrina a year ago get two anniversary visits this week   as the cameras roll. While the president appears there, Ernesto is expected to arrive in Florida by Wednesday .

Maybe all the attention is our best gift to Katrina survivors. It reminds us to keep an eye out for our neighbors as a major part of our preparedness kit. We simply can't let this happen to each other. It also reminds us that our situation is precarious, wherever we live—on the fault line, in tornado alley, at the base of a volcano. We all could be the next New Orleans with little warning.

Posted by Charles at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in At Home, Ernesto, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Tropical Storm Debby  is gaining strength out there in the Atlantic. News and weather agencies are watching it, as they tend to do. nola.com  is on it as well, with links to evacuation and preparedness right there with storm tracking. New Orleans is justifiably antsy—no other North American place is a better study in the hows and whys of being ready.

I can't get over New Orleans. After a year of being knocked about by storms from the ocean and from various capitals, the city is doing everything it can to put itself back in place, step by step . It's a real study in the resiliency of people, too. Lots of people from outside the Big Easy are coming in, as we've posted. And a lot of evacuees from last year are staying away for whatever reason—a chance to start fresh , or maybe no other option . New Orleans, nevertheless, rolls on .

The city was so completely savaged by Katrina  and the aftermath . And while it will take time, rebuilding is going on daily: People live in New Orleans and are working to get their home in order. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the next "Big One"  is a long way off.

And when it comes, we'll all be prepared and ready for it.

Posted by Charles at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Is New Orleans becoming a frontier?

Reuters has a story today  about regular folks moving to New Orleans to help the city rebuild. But it's not just Good Samaritans. They are entrepreneurs, people with a sense of adventure, and value hunters. These people are moving there to carve out a little piece of the future for themselves.

"The largest contingent of new Reuters piece continues, "are Latino workers who are ... doing much of the city's renovation work." And if these new residents generally conform to statistics , they are young men with families, ready to work hard and get a piece of the "American Dream."

Ernie the Attorney  writes about this also—bloggers (and other important New Orleanians) are gathering this week for the Rising Tide Conference . The conference is an event for organizing people, to help them connect via the blogosphere and within neighborhoods. The people of New Orleans—native AND new—are putting the city back together in two important ways: structurally (natch) and through the creation of an organic, self-generated voice. The voice will try to take back the story of New Orleans' tragedy and heroism, and have it be the first resource.

Posted by Charles at 01:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in First-hand Accounts, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Participate, Wells Fargo Bank

Nationwide Insurance won a federal court case yesterday  that frees the industry from paying certain claims against damage by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The gist of the ruling(PDF) is that the damages were from flooding, and the plaintiffs did not have flood insurance. The plaintiffs argued that their policy covered wind damage, and the flooding resulted from a wind storm—a hurricane. The judge decided a flood's a flood, no matter how it gets to you.

Opinions  will certainly run the gamut . For now, both sides claim victory: Nationwide for saving money and the plaintiffs because the judgment concluded that provisions for denying coverage are ambiguous. Judge Senter , who ruled in the case, is presiding over a huge number of suits brought against insurers by Katrina's victims.

(One of the more interesting pieces of Leonard v. Nationwide is the Leonards' complaint that the insurance agent told them they didn't need flood insurance. Good advice or bad, the guy is on the hook for keeping their premiums down.)

Whatever the outcomes that follow, it is imperative that you get knowledge about insurance in general, as much as getting knowledge about the insurance you need for your situation. Insurance Consumers  has a very helpful website to help you look deeper and ask the right questions. It reminds us that it's not just about cheaper rates.

And governments might actually help you . The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (yes, really) has this contact map  to help you find the people whose job it is to look out for your interests.

Posted by Charles at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Home, Floods, Hurricanes, Katrina, Wells Fargo Bank