Hurricane season is here yet again and for superintendents and golf pros alike that means getting all hands on deck to prep harder and smarter. Hurricanes pose massive threats to your golf course and can depreciate the value of your asset by causing devastation and damage.
What Damage Is Possible?
The most severe hurricanes are capable of 150-mile winds which can rip turf from the ground, knock down large trees, and bring the threat of storm surge if you are near the coast or bodies of water. Anything unsecured such as tools or equipment can easily become dangerous projectiles, with hurricanes capable of picking up and throwing golf carts and tearing down concrete structures. Even tropical depressions and Category 1 hurricanes can take down carports, large branches, and other structures like equipment sheds.
How Do I Prepare?
There are three main components of your course that you want to prepare for storms
The Golf Course Turf
Throughout the year, strengthening your turf using growth regulators and other proper maintenance practices can create stronger, sturdier root systems to help challenge the storm
Prevent water damage by lowering retention ponds and clearing drainage systems so that water does not build up during the storm
The Irrigation Systems
Adjust your pumps and schedules so that systems do not run during the storm
Shut down power directly before the storm
Store and prepare pumps to be utilized when the worst is over
The Maintenance Equipment
Fuel up before the hurricane and make sure all tools and equipment are filled up, you never know how access to fuel will be after the hurricane
Take chainsaws with you when leaving before a hurricane, this may be necessary to return or clear a path.
Make sure shelters, work bays, and other ports are secured and on high ground. If not, move your equipment as far up and away from low-lying areas as possible, to prevent damage from flooding.
When Do I Start?
The sooner, the better. Having a hurricane preparedness plan is something you need to have long before hurricane season, and you should update it as the year progresses. Have evacuation routes, important information for employees, and a solid plan in place for how to prep the course when the worst is coming.
Having a support system that can help you build and execute a plan is pivotal when it comes to prepping safer and prepping smarter. DTE Golf® has dedicated hurricane crews, which monitor our courses before and after storms to ensure the least damage possible during the storm and the quickest recovery after the storm.
