When heading out onto the water, you check your boat and your safety equipment. But do you keep any eye on the weather?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and many experienced Texas boating accident attorneys, the weather can play a huge role in boating safety, and sudden storms or squalls can easily cause boating accidents.
A sudden downpour or cold wind can chill any outing. Here’s how to prevent bad weather from ruining your summer fun:
- Plan ahead.
The five-day weather outlook on NOAA weather radio or on your local TV news can help you decide whether the upcoming weekend is good for boating, or if you’d rather plan an indoor activity instead. - Get a detailed forecast.
The morning of your trip, use the Internet, television weather reports, or weather radio to find a detailed weather forecast for the day. Look up local boating cautionary statements, including small craft advisories, gale warnings, or storm warnings. Advisories and warnings provide information about expected conditions in the next 24 hours, giving you time to take precautions or change your plans. - Stay alert on the water.
While meteorologists do their best to predict upcoming weather conditions, every Texas resident knows that the weather forecast is only an estimate. While you’re on the water, keep a weather radio handy, and pay attention for signs of approaching storms, such as dark, looming clouds, an increase in the winds variability or strength, a sudden drop in temperature, or flashes of lightning or rumbles of thunder on the horizon.
