Hurricane Facts, Folklore and Superstitions Abound as Storm Season Looms

April 10, 2017, St. Louis, Missouri…Forecasters and first responders are preparing for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season that begins on June 1 and ends on November 30, and some believe this year will be among the worst in recent history.

Senior Meteorologist David Dilley of Global Weather Ocillations, Inc. predicts the 2017 U.S. hurricane season will be the most dangerous and costly in 12 years. It will have 16 named storms (14 last year), eight hurricanes (six last year), and four major hurricanes (three last year), he predicts.

The word hurricane is derived from the Mayan god "Huracan," who was the Mayans’ deity of wind, storms and fire, and from the Carib Indian god of evil, called "Huricán."

The term also arose from the Taino Indian word “Juracán,” which simply means hurricane in the Taíno language, which disappeared after Spanish conquistadors conquered the Caribbean and Florida.

Christopher Columbus made the first official hurricane report after he encountered a hurricane near Hispaniola in 1495. He later declared that "nothing but the service of God and the extension of the monarchy'' would induce him to face another one.

Hurricanes are nothing but dangerous – that is why myths and superstitions about them exist in folklore, particularly folklore from the American south. For example:

• Sailors believe that St. Elmo’s fire is a hurricane warning from Mother Nature. The spectacle occurs at sea when the air is heavily charged with static electricity. It manifests in small balls of fire on the tips of yard arms and spars.
• Before a hurricane hits coastal regions, dogs, cats and horses become restless and if not confined will run away.
• When a cow carries its tail upright, it is a sign of a coming hurricane.
• When sparrows hide under hedges or roof ledges, a hurricane is coming.
• When an alligator opens his jaws with an extra-long bellow, a hurricane is imminent.
• A bountiful citrus crop means no hurricanes will occur locally, but a bountiful mango crop means that a hurricane will occur locally.
• Always carry a red onion in your pocket during hurricane season and you will survive any bad storm.
• If you see a water spout in the ocean, wave a butcher knife back and forth and the spout will break up and no storm will occur.
• Migratory birds cross the Gulf of Mexico early in hurricane season. Birds wait for favorable winds and good weather before taking flight, so they won’t try to fly during a hurricane.
• If a migrant bird lands at a spot that has been devastated by storms, it will continue onward looking for better stopover areas.
• Weeds cut during hurricane season will stay gone, but not if cut at any other time of year.

At Quake Kare, we take hurricanes very seriously. Helping people survive hurricanes, floods, tornados and other emergencies has made Quake Kare the leading provider of emergency survival kits for virtually any disaster. http://www.quakekare.com

We don’t necessarily believe in myths and superstitions, but we do believe in keeping people, families and businesses safe when disasters strike, whether natural or man-made.

As a not-for-profit organization, Quake Kare specializes in reducing the stress of disaster preparedness as an experienced source of dependable, affordable products that help people when emergencies occur.

Two new emergency survival products in addition to the company’s inventory of more than 100 pre-assembled and customized kits are now available. They are:

· The ER™ Blood Stopper Kit contains critical medical supplies for treatment of moderate to severe uncontrolled bleeding caused by penetrating wounds. This kit enables ordinary people to deliver life-saving treatment to an injured victim until EMS can arrive on scene. It includes color-coded instructions and an instructional/training video.

· The ER™ Search and Rescue Kit is a four person emergency kit containing recommended emergency tools and supplies in the event of a partial or complete collapse of a structure. Its contents support:

o Searching for survival victims

o Rescuing survival victims

o Providing medical assistance

o Emergency shelter

Quake Kare is owned by Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis, also known as LHB Industries, Inc. The Lighthouse is a non-profit 501(c)3 enterprise that helps children and adults who are visually impaired maintain dignity and independence by offering employment, education and support services.

All Quake Kare sales revenue directly supports Lighthouse service programs for people who are blind or visually impaired in Missouri and Southwestern Illinois.

The Lighthouse currently employs 48 people who are legally blind in two manufacturing plants in St. Louis County, Missouri, to assemble, pack and ship Quake Kare survival kits and many other products for consumer, corporate and government customers.

For Quake Kare product information, see the website http://www.quakekare.com or contact Brittney Bettonville at 800.542.3697 or 314.423.4333. For details about Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis services and programs, call 800.542.3697 or 314.423.4333 or visit the website or www.lhbindustries.com.

***