Hurricane season affects a huge part of the United States, even areas far away from the coast. As extreme weather events become more common in new areas and coastal storm sizes increase, people who have never had to think about wet weather tires are finding a new seasonal need.
From heavy rain to standing water, your upgrade needs will differ with your terrain, but there are some areas where you will need to be prepared because of flood waters.
Prepare For Flooding in Hurricane Season:
Extreme weather events have been increasing all over the country, and that means flooding has become a concern in more and more areas.
No matter what you drive, wheel and tire packages that make it easier to handle flood waters are an important part of handling off-road activities.
In areas prone to hurricanes, those upgrades can be necessary just for navigating the tropical storm season on your regular roads and highways.
- Wet weather or amphibious tire tread designs that channel liquid away from contact surfaces on the tread
- Size upgrades to the wheels and all terrain tires to increase ground clearance
- Suspension lift kits to raise your maximum wheel and tire size for even more height to keep your engine clear of the water
- Performance brakes for better maneuverability and stopping power
Depending on your risk factors and location, these upgrades may be a matter of convenience or they may be entirely necessary just to keep yourself supplied and get to work. Keep that in mind when you are calculating how much to invest in your hurricane season build.
Traction Is Important
The two biggest hazards when driving in flooded areas are loss of traction and water in the engine. You can deal with both if you have the right upgrades.
Traction is increased when you have tread designs that predict standing water and channel it away from contact areas because they keep the tread on the ground, preventing water from getting under the tire and lifting it, which could cause you to totally lose control.
Increased tire size, especially increases in width, help with the situation. The larger the tire, the larger the contact area with the ground and the harder it is to lose traction. That is why so many people who go off-roading in wet areas wind up with major increases to tire size.
Increased weight helps you keep traction as well, so additional measures like keeping your gas tank mostly full can provide small gains alongside your performance tires.
Choosing the Right Hurricane Tires
There are a few standouts when it comes to wet weather tires like the Mickey Thompson Classic III, which is available in a variety of sizes for your storm season build. That makes it easy to match a set to your vehicle no matter what you drive.
There are a few other top choices, but there is a good reason why Mickey Thompson tires are preferred by many experienced drivers. Whether you are upgrading for your commute or for an off-road run that could be interrupted by storms, wet weather tires can provide real performance gains in the rain.
