No matter how much you prepare and plan, weather
uncertainties are likely to occur in your backyard. While nothing can prevent a hurricane from
passing through your area, keeping in mind possible or likely weather events when
you plan your backyard farm will give you a greater level of success. This is part 4 in a 4 part series on Weather and Climate for the Backyard Farmer.
To start, think about the weather in your area, and divide
the following weather events up into 3 categories: Unlikely to occur, may
occur, and likely to occur
- Hurricane/cyclone
- Tornado
- Flooding
- Hail
- Heavy/damaging Winds
- Blizzard
- Ice Storm
- Drought
- Heat Waves
- Extreme Cold
Recurrence Intervals
If you are looking for information on how often these events
are likely to occur, you may come across information about recurrence intervals. This is an average (based on past data) of
how often this event is likely to occur.
You may see something called a 100 year flood, meaning that on average
this flood occurs 1 every 100 years). It
is very important to remember that this
does not mean that the flood occurs 1 time each 100 years. You may experience 3 years in a row with a
flood of this magnitude and not have another flood for 300 years. Just because you experienced a 100 year
drought this year, it does not mean you won’t experience one next year. In fact, you may be more likely to experience
one next year since the climatic elements that caused the drought may still be
in place the following year.
General Preparation
While many of these weather events take specific
preparations, there are some general things you can do to prepare. Here are a few items that will ensure you are
better prepared for most weather events:
- Assure that buildings and structures are sound, insulated where needed, and not overcrowded
- Create drainage for areas that are likely to flood – especially places where animals live
- Collect water in barrels, cisterns, or a pond
- Plant a variety of crops, since certain types may survive specific weather event better than others
- Have a generator on hand or another means to generate heat
- Cut down or trim trees or branches that may fall on your home, barn, sheds, or garden
- Prepare a disaster plan for when things go wrong
- Consider which event occur most commonly in your area, and prepare for those events
Creating a Disaster Plan
Create a plan for weather disasters so you are ready before
the event arrives. Despite improvements
in forecasting, we all know they get it wrong, so it is always better to be
prepared. When creating a disaster plan,
write out how you will care for your animals and property, who you will contact
in an emergency, what supplies you may need on hand for your family and your
animals, and where you might go if you are forced to evacuate. Injuries from weather events are just as likely
to occur during the clean-up stage, so be prepared and careful.
Climate Changes
While extreme weather events can occur at any time, there
are also slower permanent or temporary climate changes to consider as
well. The slow warming that is shifting agricultural
zones northward means that different crops will fail or thrive than in past
years. It also means that weather events
may increase or decrease with frequency.
While many changes may be permanent, it is also important to remember
that locally, shifts in climate may be temporary and may revert back to a
previous climate. While it is difficult
to predict local climates in the future, you can make observations and see how
things have been changing in your area (you can look at last frost dates and
see if there are any trends over the last 30 years that may give an indication
of change in the future).
How do you plan for weather extremes in your area?
We have rather erratic weather here in Montana and always have to be prepared. We had an unusual early frost in August last summer, luckily a farmer friend tipped me off and I was able to cover all our plants in the garden. After that experience, I began checking the weather forecast everyday until our normal frost period started later in September and our growing season ended.
ReplyDeleteWe've been dealing with weather extremes here for months. I'll have to bookmark this for reference! With temps well below freezing, winter prep is no joke! It's important to have a food supply for not just the people on the farm, but the animals too. In case we might get stuck/can't go out, we make sure to stock up on things like feed early on.
ReplyDeleteThese are great things to think about and plan for. Our big thing right now is electricity. If we are without power, we have no water. So we're exploring options.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to plan for this. I live in earthquake country and are most likely to experience drought...and *maybe* a tornado, as we've had them touch down nearby. That's really odd for California, but it does happen every now and then.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at the Farm Girl Blog Fest--always a was a pleasure to find your posts in the list!
~Kristi@Let This Mind Be in You