The goal of hurricane preparedness week is to inform the public about
hurricane hazards and provide knowledge which can be utilized when
you take action. This information can be used to save lives at work,
home, while on the Road, or on the water. Each day of hurricane
preparedness week features a unique topic relevant to education and
awareness. Hurricane season is generally considered to be from June
1st until November 30th for the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of
Mexico.
Today we will focus on developing a disaster prevention plan.
The most important thing you can do is to be well informed and
prepared. Preparation also includes knowing what to do after the
disaster strikes. The first step in developing a disaster plan is to
recognize the types of hazards that may effect your home or
community.
Here are some questions you need to answer…
Are you near a flood zone?
Do you lose power frequently during wind storms?
Do you have a safe place in your home?
Do you have proper insurance coverage?
Do you have non-perishable supplies?
Do you have a first aid kit?
A safe place is a location within your home that will protect you
from storm damage. Once a hurricane moves onshore, it will
weaken, but still produce wind gusts in excess of 100 mph many
miles inland. The safest place is a basement with no windows. If
you do not have a basement, go to the interior hallway or room
on the lowest floor without windows. Inland tropical storms can also
produce tornadoes. If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area, go
to your safe place immediately.
Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes can produce damage over a large area.
Due to the widespread nature of the damage, it will take longer for
power crews to restore power to everyone, so make sure you have on
hand several days of emergency supplies.
Hurricane preparedness week continues on Saturday with information on
specific actions you can take before and after a storm.
For additional historical or preparedness information, you
can visit these sites on the world wide web:
National Weather Service Birmingham, Alabama
www.Srh.NOAA.Gov/bmx
National Weather Service Mobile, Alabama
www.Srh.NOAA.Gov/mob
National Hurricane Center
www.NHC.NOAA.Gov
www.NHC.NOAA.Gov/haw2/English/intro.Shtml
Fema
www.Fema.Gov/areyouready/hurricanes.Shtm
American Red Cross
www.Redcross.Org/services/disasters
Source: NOAA.gov
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