by Meghan McPherson
M.P.P., CEM, Coordinator, Center for Health Innovation,
Program Manager, Graduate Programs in Emergency Management
Program Manager, Graduate Programs in Emergency Management
This week is National Hurricane Preparedness Week in preparation for hurricane season officially beginning June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above average Atlantic Hurricane season for 2013. NOAA indicated in its recent hurricane forecast a “70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 7 to 11 could becomehurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher). These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.”
The greater New York area is still in the beginning of what is an unprecedented and massive recovery from Superstorm Sandy. Critical Infrastructure, home owners, hospitals, and community services are still struggling to come back. That fact alone makes the area more vulnerable as hurricane season begins. It is incredibly important to heed warnings when they are given by meteorologists and public officials to evacuate. We have now learned a lesson all too familiar to people of the Gulf Coast. Watch the weather and when you are told to evacuate, do so. By not evacuating, you put yourself, as well as first responders, in danger.
The federal government has an extremely user friendly site, ready.gov, that gives you tips for any type of hazard, how to secure your property, and how to make a plan for your family and loved ones. While planning for an emergency, remember that medical preparedness is also key to successfully surviving a hurricane. Make sure you know what medications you take and their dosages, you have the phone numbers for your doctors, and that you have done the same for elderly members of your family.
By taking simple precautionary steps to prepare your family for hurricanes, you can increase your resiliency in the face of disaster.
