Storm Watch : Hurricane Bud

Growing into a Category 4 storm with winds over 130 mph…Hurricane Bud begins to take over as Hurricane Aletta begins to wind down. “Hurricane Bud is expected to move northwestward…as it strengthens, tracking closer to the Mexico coastline than Aletta (Duff & Leister, 2018). With widespread showers and incoming thunderstorms, Hurricane Bud is expected to hit the areas from Oxaca to Jalisco.

As the storm begins to move through Baja California, there are high chances that Phoenix, AZ and Tuscon, AZ will experience some rain fall. Along with the storm, Hurricane Bud brings along the dangers of localized flooding within certain areas prone to flash flooding. Rivers and streams may rise as a result of Hurricane Bud which has caused some concern for many residents of Manzanillo, Tecomān and Colola (Duff & Leister, 2018). Throughout the coast of southern Baja California we will see prevalent dangerous rip currents as well as choppy waters…. residents are warned to use extreme caution while at sea or near the beach as advisories are being issued of storm generated swells.

Always do your best to prepare for a hurricane, or any natural disaster by stocking up on emergency supplies such as food, water, medications, batteries, vital documentation and a source of power if available for it is not known how long a natural disaster may last.

If in the event that you are caught in the midst of a hurricane, be mindful of the following tips to help you survive and maintain:

• Listen to the local authorities or news outlets for information on any evacuation orders and or any new developments.
• Avoid low-lying or flash flood prone areas as these will be the first affected by the immediate storm.
• Try to stay indoors and prepare your shelter to withstand hurricane level winds. Stay away from windows.
• If waiting out the hurricane, be sure to wait for authorities to announce that it is safe to exit your shelters.