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Hurricane Preparedness |
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The 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1, 2011 and ends on November 30, 2011. Atlantic hurricanes affect the eastern and Gulf coasts of the U.S. The experts are predicting a busier than usual hurricane season for 2011. There are many things to be considered throughout hurricane season. The best way to be prepared for a hurricane is to stay informed and keep up with current changes to the forecast. Everyone needs to be prepared for the potential of a land falling tropical system. The damage from the storm could be due to winds, heavy rain, or tornadoes. You should check your emergency kit to ensure the items are current for the year. Replace the batteries, water, and food supplies stored in your kit with fresh supplies. You can find out just what is needed in your kit by reviewing the ?Emergency Three Day Kit? link on the Special Operations page on this site. The webpage also provides valuable information and links to additional hurricane and other emergency preparedness websites.
One of the websites you can access from the Emergency Management page is ReadyNC.org. This website provides valuable emergency preparedness information and includes two 'special' features. First, it can be displayed in Spanish. When you go to the site, you can click on language choice on the left side of the screen under to logo. Second, this site has the information available to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Simply select a page, and then select the 'Deaf Link' symbol on the left side of the screen.
Saffir-Simpson Scale: Rates Hurricane strength based on the wind speeds. It is used to give a potential for damage caused by the storm.
Category One Hurricane - 74-95 mph
Category Two Hurricane - 96-110 mph
Category Three Hurricane - 111-130 mph
Category Four Hurricane - 131-155 mph
Category Five Hurricane - Greater than 156 mph
You should always refer to your local media for any pertinent information as it relates to possible evacuations, closings, and the opening of shelters. If you do have to use a shelter you should always carry only essential and personal items. Emergency shelters are also not designed or set up for animals so you should be prepared to make other arrangements for household pets.
You can also learn more about being better prepared for hurricanes, what to do after a hurricane, and health safety tips at the following link below:
Hurricane Preparedness (includes PSAs)-http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/prepared_week.shtml
NC Preparedness-
http://readync.org/index.cfm?espanol=0&topic=27&on=Hurricane
Hurricane Basics-
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml
Hurricane Weather School-
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//tropics/tc.htm