This is hurricane awareness week across the US as the National Weather Service (NWS) focuses on educating people to the dangers and procedures to be safe during the upcoming hurricane season which begins June 1. Today’s focus is on planning for tropical systems.
-Brian-
NOUS44 KBMX 300952 PNSBMX ALZ011>015-017>050-302200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 452 AM CDT FRI MAY 30 2014 ...THIS IS HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK... TODAY'S TOPIC: GET A PLAN! THE GOAL OF HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ABOUT THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH A HURRICANE, WHICH WILL PREPARE YOUTO TAKE ACTION AS A HURRICANE APPROACHES. THIS INFORMATION MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE, AT WORK, HOME, ON THE ROAD, OR ON THE WATER. EACH DAY OF HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK FEATURES A UNIQUE TOPIC RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. HURRICANE SEASON OFFICIALLY RUNS FROM JUNE 1ST UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH FOR THE ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO. TODAY WE WILL FOCUS ON GETTING A PLAN, OR DEVELOPING A HURRICANE FAMILY DISASTER PLAN. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET READY BEFORE A STORM THREATENS YOUR COMMUNITY. HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED TO ANSWER. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FOR YOUR COUNTY? WHEN YOU HEAR OF A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE WATCH OR WARNING, PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ITS EXPECTED ARRIVAL TIME AND LOCAL IMPACTS, SUCH AS HIGH WINDS AND FLOODING. ARE YOU NEAR A FLOOD ZONE? IF SO, DO YOU HAVE PROPER INSURANCE COVERAGE? DO YOU LOSE POWER FREQUENTLY DURING WIND STORMS? DO YOU HAVE A SAFE PLACE IN YOUR HOME? 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 MAY STILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH MANY MILES INLAND. THE SAFEST PLACE FOR HIGH WINDS 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. TROPICAL STORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA, GO TO YOUR SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. DO YOU HAVE NON-PERISHABLE SUPPLIES? DO YOU HAVE A FIRST AID KIT AND ANY NECESSARY MEDICATIONS? 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...SEVERAL DAYS IN SOME INSTANCES...SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SEVERAL DAYS OF EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ON HAND. DON'T WAIT FOR THE STORMS. GET YOUR HURRICANE FAMILY DISASTER PLAN READY TODAY. HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES ON SATURDAY WITH INFORMATION ON WHEN TO TAKE ACTION. FOR ADDITIONAL PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION, YOU CAN VISIT THESE SITES ON THE INTERNET: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER WWW.HURRICANES.GOV HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK SITE WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/PREPARE/ FEMA WWW.READY.GOV AMERICAN RED CROSS WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/WHAT-WE-DO/DISASTER-RELIEF FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE JIM STEFKOVICH, OR WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST JOHN DE BLOCK OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM AT 205-664-3010. $$
