Hurricane Preparedne​ss Week

Are you prepared for a hurricane? What would you do? These are questions that you should have answers to because hurricane season is fastly approaching. This week is Hurricane Preparedne​ss Week and we will give you safety tips on what to do in case of an emergency!

Two keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials. These are essential pieces to the Weather-Ready Nation.

Refer to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) ready.gov/hurricanes for comprehensive information on hurricane preparedness at home and in your community.

Gather Information-

Know if you live in an evacuation area. Assess your risks and know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Understand National Weather Service forecast products and especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.

Contact your local National Weather Service office and local government/emergency management office. Find out what type of emergencies could occur and how you should respond.

Contacts

Keep a list of contact information for reference:
Local Emergency Management Office

• County Law Enforcement
• County Public Safety Fire/Rescue
• State, County and City/Town Government
• Local Hospitals
• Local Utilities
• Local American Red Cross
• Local TV Stations
• Local Radio Stations
• Your Property Insurance Agent

Plan & Take Action

Everyone needs to be prepared for the unexpected. Your friends and family may not be together when disaster strikes. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children or parents are safe? You may have to evacuate or be confined to your home. What will you do if water, gas, electricity or phone services are shut off?

Supplies Kit

Put together a basic disaster supplies kit and consider storage locations for different situations. Help community members do the same.

Emergency Plans

Develop and document plans for your specific risks.

• Protect yourself and family with a Family Emergency Plan - [PDF] [Google Docs]
• Be sure to plan for locations away from home
• Business owners and site locations should create Workplace Plans
• Make sure schools and daycares have School Emergency Plans
• Pet owners should have plans to care for their animals. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention offer information on animal health impacts in evacuation shelters.
• Prepare your boat and be aware of marine safety if you are on or near the water.

 

Evacuation

• Review the FEMA Evacuation Guidelines to allow for enough time to pack and inform friends and family if you need to leave your home. FOLLOW instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered!
• Consider your protection options to decide whether to stay or evacuate your home if you are not ordered to evacuate.

When waiting out a storm be careful, the danger may not be over yet...

Be alert for:

• Tornadoes – they are often spawned by hurricanes.
• The calm "eye" of the storm – it may seem like the storm is over, but after the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

Recover

• Wait until an area is declared safe before returning home.
• Remember that recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process.

Resources

• FEMA - Are You Ready? Guide
• National Weather Service Weather Safety
• Be a Force of Nature with NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation
• NWS Storm-Ready Sites & Communities
• Ready.gov Kids
• American Red Cross

Content Credit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php

-Denea Duran

Floods Strike Everywhere

Floods rank as one of the most common and widespread natural disasters in the United States. Whether you live near a coastline, along city streets, in the mountains, near a river or even in the desert, there is a potential for suffering from flood damage. In fact, nearly 25% of last year's claims paid by the Nation Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were for policies in moderate to low risk communities. According to the NFIP, houses in the United States have a 26% chance of being damaged by a flood during the course of a 30-year mortgage.

On average, floods cost $6 billion in annual losses in the U.S. 


A few more little-known flood facts:

• Floods kill an average of 140 people per year in the U.S., making flooding the most deadly natural disaster.

• More than half of all fatalities during floods are auto related, often the result of drivers misjudging the depth of water on a road and being swept away in a swiftly moving current.

• The principle causes of floods in the Eastern United States are hurricanes and storms.

• The principle causes of floods in the Western United States are snow-melt and rainstorms.

• Underpasses can be some of the most dangerous places during a flash floods-- especially at night, when it's difficult to see. 

-Denea Duran



Photo Credit: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/visualizations/flood.html

12 Feet Above Flood Stage: Like It Never Even Happened

Over 13 inches of rain in the Cumberland River region, winds blasting through downtown Nashville, waters 12 feet above flood stage... this is the story of the Tennessee/Kentucky/Mississippi floods.

Sandy Hayden