Wind mitigation inspections, or wind inspections, can provide extra safety and security to your home or business. This preparation can ensure that your structure is ready to take on strong winds and hurricanes, minimizing the amount of damage. A wind mitigation inspection in Florida can actually save residents between $500 to $1,000 annually. Not so bad for a service that generally costs less than $200. After Hurricane Andrew plowed the state...

As Tropical Storm Manuel moves closer to Mexico, it has already begun to wreak havoc on Mexico’s coastline. Currently the storm is located 105 miles south of Lazaro Cardenas and 215 miles southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico. Manuel has reached maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, and these winds may increase as Manuel makes landfall on Sunday, September 15. It is currently moving north at 6 miles per hour, and is expected to move...

Tropical Storm Manuel weakens slightly after making landfall near Manzanillo, Mexico. The storm, currently dwindling in power, is located 15 miles north of Manzanillo and 160 miles west northwest of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. The storm has reached maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, and is predicted to weaken very quickly into Monday, September 16. It is currently moving northwest at 9 miles per hour and is expected to stay on this path...

Formerly a tropical storm, Ingrid has been upgraded to Category 1 hurricane status late Saturday afternoon, September 14, becoming the second hurricane of the 2013 season. The storm is currently located 195 miles east of Tuxpan, Mexico, and 275 miles of La Pesca, Mexico. Hurricane Ingrid has reached maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour with some additional strengthening expected over the next two days. Ingrid is currently moving north at...

As Juliette decreases in power, it continues to cause problems for the Mexican Baja California Peninsula. The storm currently has been decreased to a post tropical cyclone and becomes a remnant low, however, the storm has in total caused at least one death. As of Thursday, August 29, Juliette was located 205 miles northwest of Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico and 80 miles south southeast of Punta Eugenia, Mexico. At its lowest, post tropical cyclone...

After strengthening slightly overnight, causing the Mexican government to extend a tropical storm warning northward earlier Thursday morning, August 29, Juliette has finally showed signs of slowing down. Tropical Storm Juliette is currently located 95 miles northwest of Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico, and 175 miles southeast of Punta Eugenia. The mexican government, in addition to discontinuing the tropical storm warning for the west coast of the Baja...

Tropical Storm Fernand was decreased in status to a tropical depression on Monday morning, August 26. Currently the storm is located 50 miles south-southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico. The storm has reached maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, moving northwest at 9 miles per hour which is expected to decrease over the next few days. Its path may alter within the next day, shifting between west-northwest and northwest. Fernand is bringing heavy...

After becoming a Tropical Depression over Saturday night into early Sunday morning, Ivo has now become a remnant low and has deteriorated into a Post-Tropical Cyclone. Currently the storm is located 190 miles west-northwest of Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico and 145 miles south of Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and has reached maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour. Ivo is moving north-northwest at 8 miles per hour, with all tropical storm watches and...

While Tropical Storm Ivo is expected to weaken over several days, its large span (195 miles from the center of the storm) may affect coastal areas along the Baja Peninsula. As of Saturday, August 24, the storm was located 240 miles west of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and 360 miles south-southeast of Punta Eugenia, Mexico. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, and is moving north-northwest at 12 miles per hour. An advisory...

A new tropical depression, dubbed Tropical Depression Nine-E, formed in the eastern Pacific to the southwest of the Baja Peninsula early Thursday morning, August 22. It is currently located 390 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and the center of the storm isn’t projected to hit land within the next 48 hours. The storm has reached maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, and is moving north-northwest at 6 miles per hour,...

Tropical Storm Erin has decreased in strength once again to become a Post-Tropical Cyclone by Sunday, August 18. The storm is currently located west northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, decreasing in wind speed to 35 miles per hour. Erin, now a remnant low, is moving due west at 8 miles per hour, with possible shifting to a south of west motion over the next 48 hours. There are still no land warnings or watches in effect, as the storm is not...

After weakening to a tropical depression, Erin has reignited to a tropical storm today, August 17. The storm is expected to weaken over the next few days, possibly becoming a tropical depression as early as Sunday, August 18. Currently the storm is located 920 miles west northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, reaching maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. Tropical Storm Erin is moving at 13 miles per hour in a northwest direction, however...

Earlier Friday, August 16, Erin decreased from a tropical depression to a tropical depression. Currently the storm is located 625 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. Tropical Depression Erin has reached maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, and is moving west northwest at 17 miles per hour. Currently there are no land warnings in effect, as the storm is still a great distance from any coast. The storm is expected to decrease in forward...

After strengthening rapidly overnight to a Category 2 hurricane status, Henriette weakens as it moves further away from the U.S. coastline. The hurricane will lose strength and size as it passes south of Hawaii over the weekend. At the last report, given on Thursday evening, August 8, Hurricane Henriette reached maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour and was located 980 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. The storm was moving west at 12 miles per...

Hurricane Henriette unexpectedly strengthens over Wednesday night, completely going against what forecasters had originally predicted for the storm, and reaches a Category 2 hurricane strength. Experts had originally thought that the storm would be weakening to tropical storm status by this time. Henriette is currently located 1,680 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, reaching maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. The storm is still staying on...

As Hurricane Henriette weakens instead of strengthening, Tropical Storm Gil dissipates. Despite predictions, Henriette did not reach a Category 2 hurricane status on Wednesday, August 7. Henriette is currently located 1,285 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii and 1,735 miles west off the southern tip of Baja California. The storm is moving west northwest at 12 miles per hour, with winds decreasing to 85 mph. Henriette is still not projected to reach...

Gil continues on, strengthening overnight and returning to its tropical storm status after crossing warmer waters and lighter wind shear. It has now reached maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. Tropical Storm Gil is now located 985 miles east southeast of Hilo, Hawaii and 1,195 miles east southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii. Tropical storm force winds extend outward from the center of the storm up to 40 miles. The storm trudges westward at 9...

Henriette, formerly a tropical storm, was upgraded to hurricane status early Tuesday morning, August 6, and continues to strengthen throughout the day. Hurricane Henriette’s strengthening may continue throughout the night, however a sudden weakening can occur late Wednesday or Thursday as Henriette passes over more stable air and cooler waters. Currently Hurricane Henriette, a Category 1 hurricane, is the strongest storm of the 2013 U.S....

Tropical Storm Henriette is gained strength in the Pacific throughout Monday, August 5. The storm may continue to strengthen if surrounded by light shear and warm water. Forecasters are calling this storm an almost hurricane, now located 1,470 miles west southwest off the southern tip of Baja California. The storm has now reached maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, only a short distance away from the 74 mph threshold for a category 1...

Tropical Storm Gil continued to weaken and diminish in the Pacific throughout Saturday, August 3 becoming a tropical depression by Sunday, August 4. The storm continued its westward path throughout Saturday, becoming increasingly disorganized throughout the day. Gil still is expected to fall quickly apart throughout Sunday, continuing a west southwest movement at 9 miles per hour from its current location, 1,360 miles east south east of Hilo,...

Dorian resurfaced 85 miles east of Florida early Saturday morning as a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, moving north, then northeast throughout Saturday at a steady 6 miles per hour. Dorian was not expected to move so quickly away from the coast, however maintained away from land as forecasters expected. Tropical Depression Dorian continued to weaken throughout Saturday becoming a post-tropical cyclone...

Hurricane Gil weakens unexpectedly on Friday, August 2 to a tropical storm after only one day with hurricane force winds. Located 1,395 miles west southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Gil has decreased to maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour and is moving west at 9 miles per hour. No land warning have been placed on either California, Mexico or Hawaii. Tropical Storm Gil is expected to continue this path through Saturday,...

Tropical Storm Gil strengthens to a hurricane category 1 status late Wednesday night, early Thursday morning. Hurricane Gil is now located 1,030 miles west southwest of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. It is moving west northwest at 12 miles per hour. Gil is expected to turn more west later Thursday afternoon, however no change in speed is expected throughout Friday. Gil may strengthen...

Late Monday afternoon Dorian disseminated into a rainy mess over the Palm Beach County, decreasing its chances of regenerating into another serious tropical storm to 20%. It is difficult for forecasters to predict the amounts of rainfall that will hit the area because of how disorganized the system has become. Dorian, according to satellite imagery, has elongated north and south, creating a larger scope for possibly affected areas. Monday, the...

In late 2012 State Farm was brought under fire in relation to a mismanagement of thousands of hurricane claims from Hurricane Ike in Texas. Released communications between State Farm managers in Texas spurred the investigation, and customers have claimed that State Farm has defrauded them out of owed money. The investigation is being led by Gregg Cox, head of the public integrity unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s office in...

Most roof damage is covered by home insurance policies, however policies differ depending on a number of factors including amount of damage, age of the roof, how many times the roof has been damaged previously. In the case of a storm, most wind, rain or hail damage is typically covered by home insurance policies, and the claim will be investigated by an adjustor to verify the damage. When it comes to the age of your roof, some companies will...

Dalila reached hurricane strengths mid-Tuesday, July 2. By later in the day, Hurricane Dalila was reaching maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with higher gusts. The storm, now situated 200 miles west southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico is slowing down as it curves away from the coast. The hurricane is trudging along at 2 mph as it is expected to move in a southwestern motion through Wednesday, and head due east by Thursday, July 4. Forecasters expect...

Tropical Storm Dalila strengthens to sustained wind speeds of 70 mph with higher gusts as it moves further away from Mexico’s coastline. The storm is 180 miles west southwest of Manzanillo Mexico as of Monday evening, moving at 6 mph. Any tropical storm warnings or watches have been discontinued, however storm-force winds may extend up to 80 miles from the center of the storm. Over the next few days, Dalila is expected to turn gradually...

Tropical Storm Dalila continues to curve away from the Mexico coastline near Manzanillo, but not before it unloads heavy rain and thunderstorms on coastal cities. The storm is expected to reach the lowest hurricane strength Monday night or early Tuesday morning, posing a threat to those situated along the coast. Dalila will remain a hurricane only until Wednesday, as cooler water will weaken the storm. The area is susceptible to flooding with...

A third special session might be held in September by Gov. Rick Perry for Texas representatives to iron out details regarding Texas Windstorm Insurance Association reform. Senator Larry Taylor, Representative Todd Hunter and Representative David Bonnen are spearheading an overhaul of the TWIA, an idea overlooked in the second special session. “While several of my bills to overhaul the funding and claims management mechanisms of TWIA were...

A tropical storm off the Pacific coast of Mexico threatens those within the area. Tropical Storm Dalila is heading northwest, 175 miles south of the town of Manzanillo. Officials have stated that the storm has strengthened, producing maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm, moving at a speed of 10 mph, is expected to strengthen even more within the next 48 hours. A tropical storm warning was placed for the areas along the southwest coast of...

As of June 2013, two bills regarding the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) passed in the Texas legislature. Representative Dennis Bonnen and Representative Greg Bonnen of Angleton authored House Bill 3007 in efforts to eradicate any confusion regarding structural modifications to homes by removing the Alternative Eligibility Certification program and any WPI-12 certification requirements. The WPI-12 program was created in 2011 as a...

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) met for the first time this year on June 18 in order to prepare a plan to raise funds and increase efficiency for future storms after the Legislature was unable to approve any reforms to the agency during the recent regular session. Senators and representatives filed different bills in efforts to financially restructure the agency, however none of these bills gathered enough support for a vote on...

Those who live along the coast, and in some cases farther inland, know the risks and hazards that a hurricane or a tropical storm brings. Strong winds and high waters mean dangerous situation for residents, and large amounts of damage after the storm has passed. Some who aren’t too familiar with the destruction can find themselves asking what are the actual risks of hurricane damage? Strong Winds and Storm Surges Strong winds occurring...

Along with the difficult task of dealing with a storm, there comes a cleanup period after a hurricane where families have to be ready to assess the damage it has caused. Homeowners may return home after evacuation to roof damage, broken windows or even massive home structural damage. On top of the visible damage, there may also be infrastructure damage like gas leaks and electrical problems. All of this cleanup becomes even more complicated when...

The CDC and the FDA have joined together to compile information regarding safe drug use after a natural disaster, including medications that may be sensitive to extreme situations. Heat and Water Conditions Medications exposed to extreme heat should be thrown out and discontinued use. Life-altering medications should be replaced as soon as possible. If the medication within the container looks normal to you, you may continue to use the drug with...

Tropical Storm Barbara picked up momentum late Tuesday and early Wednesday, heading toward a scarcely populated area of Mexico’s southern Pacific coast. Officials in the coastal state of Oaxaca prepped emergency shelters and ended classes early, as a hurricane warning was issued for the Pacific coast from Puerto Angel to Barra de Tonala. Local ports had been closed near Puerto Angel, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco. Salina Cruz, where...

We all know that when the power is out during a severe thunderstorm or hurricane, it becomes really tiresome for adults. By this token, we can only imagine how tiresome it can be for children. While the physical safety of your children during a storm is important, many often forget the mental and psychological safety during a storm. We’ve come up with some ways to help you wait out the storm peacefully with your children, especially when...