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40 <br />410 <br />High winds associated with hurricanes can be the source of <br />great destruction. The wind alone can lead to flying debris, <br />including tree limbs and branches, signs, roofing, and metalsiding, all of which move through the air like missiles. Highwindsalso can destroy poorly constructed buildings and <br />mobile homes. <br />Once wind and rain has penetrated the <br />secure envelope of a structure (doors, windows, garage <br />doors, and roofs), the chances of the structure surviving the <br />hurricane greatly diminish. <br />Tornadoes and torrential rainfall add to the life-threatening <br />and damaging effects of a hurricane. Six to 12 inches of <br />rain or more can fall on an area as the storm passes, <br />causing flooding and flash floods. Tornadoes produced by <br />hurricanes occur most frequently in rain bands well away <br />from the center of the hurricane. Damage from a tornado <br />results from the high wind velocity and wind-blown debris. <br />Crop damage is another powerful effect of hurricanes andtropicalstorms. Recently, Tropical Storm Mitch dropped as <br />much as 10 inches of rain in some south Florida areas, <br />which resulted in approximately $20 million in crop damage <br />in Palm Beach County alone (The Associated Press, 1998). <br />According to the 1997 Florida Statistical Abstract, of Indian <br />River County's 311,112 total land acreage, 174,673 acres <br />are farmland. With 54% of its land area being fi.rmed, <br />Indian River County is particularly vulnerable to crop <br />damage resulting from the wind and rain from hurricanes <br />and tropical storms. <br />Florida is the most vulnerable state in the nation to the <br />impacts of tropical storms. The topography of south central <br />Florida makes it particularly vulnerable to the effects of <br />hurricanes and tropical storms; this area is primarily a flat, <br />low-lying plain. The potential for property damage and <br />human casualties is increased by the rapid growth of the <br />county, particularly in the most vulnerable areas long the <br />ane <br />shoreline, combined with complacency by <br />infrequency. <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan <br />Basic Page 8