Hurricane Ian roared across the Florida peninsula with raw strength not seen in decades. It eviscerated homes and reduced low-lying coastal areas to ravished wastelands. With windspeeds nudging the Category 5 threshold, the storm’s two-prong attack of wind and water toppled labyrinths of coastal batteries to downtrodden paths to destruction. Fortuitously, the storm’s rapid acceleration prevented it from lingering too long the coast, minimizing flooding and destruction. Florida was well-prepared for this storm and took the steps necessary to complete wanton catastrophe. One of the more insidious killers of hurricanes are hazmat incidents. In the rush to secure property before getting out of town, many people ignore securing proper chemical storage for their dangerous supplies. What results is a disaster that lasts much longer than the strongest of storms. Hurricane resistant chemical storage lockers can prevent small accidents from turning into larger disasters.
How Do Chemical Accidents Come Under Attack During a Hurricane?
Vulnerable infrastructure carries the brunt of damage during a hurricane. Metal piping, barrels and inferior storage compartments undergo same structural damages as traditional housing and storefronts. If you’re seeing brick walls crumbling before you, then chances remain high that inferior chemical storage is taking a pounding. Unlike exploding transformers or collapsing walls, chemical storage incidents don’t usually go off with a bang. Invariably, a high gust of wind or torrent of water knocks a chemical storage locker off it’s foundations or compromises its structural integrity, releasing large amounts of hazardous materials by the way of a slow drip. If gone unchecked, this chemical substance will permeate into the ground water and surrounding ecosystem, rendering damage for years to come. If it doesn’t kill off fish and wildlife initially, the large deposit of carcinogens can leave a barren landscape and kill off future progeny.
Hurricane Resistant Chemical Storage Lockers Can Prevent the Unthinkable
Before you batten down the hatches and stockpile on goods and an emergency generator, think about your most vulnerable property. No, we’re not talking about your pets here, but you should definitely be taking them with you to higher ground to ride out the storm. In the rush to secure valuable tools and machinery, many business owners forget their neglected industrial grade chemicals. More often than not, project managers seldomly think twice about these materials under they’re needed for manufacturing or cleaning. If left unsecured, metal barrels of volatile chemicals can be penetrated or tipped over, allowing toxic ooze to seep into the environment. To prevent similar catastrophes, invest in a hurricane resistant chemical storage locker from U.S Hazmat Storage. Each chemical storage locker that rolls off the factory line is outfitted with an innovative grated sump system. A metal grate comprises the storage locker’s flooring that sits above the sump. In the event of a spill, the chemical substance will simply pass through the floor and sit in the sump until it can be safely removed. This will prevent small chemical spills from turning into frontpage horror stories that could forever damage your company’s well-earned reputation.