Archive: Jun 2015

Hurricane Season Preparation and Response: BLM is Ready

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For most of the country, June signals the start of summer—a carefree season of long, warm days and time spent outdoors. For the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, however, June 1 marked the start of hurricane season, and it’s something they take very seriously.

While this year’s hurricane season has been predicted to be a relatively quieter one, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says this is not an indication to be lax. In fact, they point out that, “A below-normal season doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. As we’ve seen before, below-normal seasons can still produce catastrophic impacts to communities.” *The devastating Hurricane Andrew, they reminded people, occurred during a below-normal season.

At BLM, we know all about the catastrophic effects of hurricanes, and we also know how to be prepared. Our clutches are integral components within a variety of products used in post-hurricane cleanup. Once the season is underway, we receive countless panicked calls from various municipalities, requesting our clutches immediately for their cleanup procedures.

Chippers, for instance, are used to clean up the fallen trees and branches that occur from the damaging effects of high winds. If these winds get bad enough, major structures, such as buildings, must be repaired as well, and this is where rider trowels come in. They are used for doing large concrete flooring surfaces in many buildings, including high-rises.

When roads experience damage—as they often do during a tropical storm or hurricane—plate tampers are used for packing down road surfaces and redoing the asphalt. On damaged sidewalks, curbers fix the edging and make them safe again.

Then there are the pumps, which take care of the large amounts of water, as well as the sweepers, and countless other post-disaster pieces of equipment. In all of these, BLM clutches are critical components, aiding in the recovery and bringing peace of mind back to communities.

Whether your hurricane season plan includes pre-storm preparation or post-storm response—or most likely, both—we at BLM will be ready and able to help you pick up the pieces.

* https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/28/410268156/noaa-warns-of-powerful-storms-despite-seeing-below-normal-hurricane-season