JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --??When a storm approaches, wind speed and water become concerns as a surge could cause the ocean and rivers to swell well beyond their banks.??
"There's an old adage, you can hide from the wind, but you have to run from the water," said Chief Martin Senterfitt,?Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
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With so much water surrounding the River City, storm surge poles in different areas indicate how high the water could get during a storm.
Emergency officials said they aren't as accurate as once thought. "The National Weather Service National Hurricane Center is working to come up with a new labeling system," said Senterfitt.
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Before, emergency officials equated a Category 1 hurricane with a level 1 surge based on the Saffir Simpson Hurricane scale.
Hurricane experts have tossed that belief based on recent deadly storms.
"It all depends on the size, direction and scope.? So this year we could hear new things coming from the Hurricane Center.? They may tell us this is a category 2 hurricane but we're expecting a much larger storm surge," said Senterfitt.
A storm surge is the huge mound of water that builds and comes ashore during a hurricane.? In our area, there's the ocean and the St. Johns River.
They can be deadly in any part of town.
"Storm surge will destroy buildings.? I've seen it destroy cinder blocks and metal buildings.? It's devastating," said Senterfitt.
That's why Senterfitt and his crew monitor weather situations on multiple screens.? He said they're prepared to warn the public when the worse is coming.
As for the poles, they'll eventually change. "So the information will be a little more complex but it will be a lot more accurate," said Senterfitt.
Senterfitt said as of right now, they're not doing away with the current poles.
He said they still serve a purpose, letting people know how high the water can get during a surge.? He said they also serve as a visible reminders to have an evacuation plan in place.
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