NOAA via AP
Hurricane Florence threatens the US east coast.
- Hurricane Florence, a Category 4 storm, may be the most powerful storm to land north of Florida in history.
- I used to live in Florida and have a few Category 4 hurricane experiences under my belt that left me with a few lessons learned along the way.
- Here's what you should know when it comes to protecting your money during a hurricane.
Hurricane Florence could be the most powerful storm to ever make landfall north of Florida. It's currently a Category 4, which the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale defines as a storm with winds running 130 to 156 miles per hour.
As someone who grew up in hurricane territory - otherwise known as Florida - I can tell you this much: A Cat 4 hurricane is nothing to take lightly, especially when it's heading for an area that isn't usually faced with storms of that force.
I've been through two Category 4 storms myself. The first, Hurricane Charley in 2004, was a beast with winds of 145 mph - and the eye passed right through where I was taking shelter.
The second, Hurricane Irma in 2017, was hard to avoid and I was forced to evacuate; after much debated prediction about which side of Florida it would land on, it hit the west side of Florida. I was taking shelter on the east coast, but the hurricane was so monstrous that I still experienced the effects from the right-front side of the storm, where the strongest winds are.
As a hurricane veteran, I've picked up a thing or two on how to prepare for and deal with the aftermath of a hurricane, particularly when it comes to the most important and vulnerable aspects - your finances.
Here, seven things you should know about financially preparing for Hurricane Florence.