DEAN

ERIN

Hurricane Water Vapor Loop Atlantic/East
Coast
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/HURRLOOPS/huwvloop.html
WebTV
users click HERE!
Gulf of Mexico Water Vapor Loop
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/HURRLOOPS/gulfwv.html
For every year, there is a pre-approved
list of names for tropical
storms and hurricanes. These
lists have been generated
by the National Hurricane
Center since 1953. At first,
the lists consisted of only
female names; however, since
1979, the lists alternate
between male and female.
Hurricanes are named alphabetically
from the list in chronological
order. Thus the first tropical
storm or hurricane of the
year has a name that begins
with "A" and the second
is given the name that begins
with "B." The lists contain
names that begin from A
to W, but exclude names
that begin with a "Q" or
"U." |
There are six lists
that continue to rotate.
2007
Hurricane
Names |
2008
Hurricane
Names |
2009
Hurricane
Names |
Andrea
Barry
Chantal
Dean
Erin
Felix
Gabrielle
Humberto
Ingrid
Jerry
Karen
Lorenzo
Melissa
Noel
Olga
Pablo
Rebekah
Sebastien
Tanya
Van
Wendy |
Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred |
Ana
Bill
Claudette
Danny
Erika
Fred
Grace
Henri
Ida
Joaquin
Kate
Larry
Mindy
Nicholas
Odette
Peter
Rose
Sam
Teresa
Victor
Wanda |
|

HURRICANE CEREMONY X
Public
prayer ceremony dedicated to Our
Lady of Prompt Succor (who has
intervened historically on New
Orleans' behalf when a hurricane
has threatened) and Ezili Danto
(also associated with Mater Salvatoris
and Moumt Carmel) to ask for protection
from hurricanes
When:
Saturday, July 21st.. 7:00 p.m.
Where: Achade
Meadows Peristyle, 3319 Rosalie
Alley (off of Rampart, between
Piety and Desire)
What to bring in offering:
For Our Lady: flowers, statues,
candles, religious pictures, jewelry.
For Danto: Barbancourt Rum, Florida
Water, candles, daggers, dolls
dressed in red and blue with gold
trim or calico prints, spicy black
beans, peasant cakes, unfiltered
cigarettes, fried pork, white
crème de menthe.
What to wear:
Please dress in white (the color
of purity), with red head scarves,
or all red (the color of Petwo
rites).
For More Info,
call The Island of Salvation Botanica:
(504) 948-9961.
http://www.feyvodou.com/
Last year's hurricane season blew
away the predictions. Here's what
a leading forecaster from Colorado
State University says
· This
season will be busy, but
not as intense as last year.
· There's a 81 percent chance
a major hurricane could
hit along the U.S. coast
and a 64 percent chance
one could hit the East Coast.
· The still-recovering Gulf
Coast could be hit again
-- there's a 47 percent
chance of a major hurricane
striking there. |
Hurricane Season 2007
Be
prepared for this year's
hurricane season.
Find
states' emergency info,
and where to get help
for Louisiana, Mississippi
, Texas, Florida, Alabama,
South Caraolina, North
Carolina.
VIEW WEB SITE Get info from NOAA
hurricane center on storms.
What Would You Call It? What would
you name a hurricane?
Is your name on the official
list? See more about the
history of naming or check
out memorable hurricanes.
What Are They? What are
hurricanes, anyway? How
do they form?
How to Survive: Find out
what to do before, during
and after a hurricane.
Been Struck? Has your
area been declared a national
disaster? Find out where
to get
help and assistance.
More hurricane link Resources:
· Six to 10 Day Forecast
in Your Area
· NOAA: National Hurricane
Center
· Fed. Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)
· Find Your Local Red
Cross Chapter
· Water for Drinking and
Cooking | More Tips
Disaster preparedness begins with
each family and household
having a plan. FEMA recommends
that you have a ready-to-go
emergency kit that will
allow you to survive unaided
for three days. A kit
should include the following:
First aid kit (including prescription
medicines)
Food and water for up
to 72 hours
Extra clothing and blankets
Flashlights and extra
batteries
The following supplies
are recommended:
NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries
Whistle to signal for
help
A camp stove with extra
fuel
Foldable ladders for second-story
escape in a fire
Photocopies of credit
and identification cards
Food and Water
In addition to an emergency kit, families
should be prepared with
up to three days of food
and water for each member.
Basic foods, like canned
foods, dry foods, and
other non-perishable items
are best to have because
if electricity goes out,
they will still be edible.
Here are some tips:
Keep foods on hand that everyone in your
family will like to eat
Avoid foods that are high
in fat and protein
Don't stock salty foods,
since they will make you
thirsty
The average person requires
two quarts of drinking
water per day. Some individuals,
like children or nursing
mothers, may require more.
A gallon per day for each
person in your family
is the recommended amount,
say American Red Cross
officials. If you are
running low on water,
don't ration. To lessen
the amount you need, reduce
your activity.
If water is unavailable from household
sources, water from rain,
streams or rivers, and
natural springs can be
used. However, water from
any outdoor source must
first be purified before
it can be used for potable
or hygienic purposes.
Boiling, disinfecting
(by means of adding 16
drops of bleach per gallon
of water) and distillation
are the three recommended
methods of purification.
Be Ready to Evacuate
Mobile homes and travel trailers are
particularly vulnerable
to severe weather because
of their instability.
Since hurricanes can trigger
quickly forming tornadoes,
residents should be prepared
to leave at a moments
notice.
A mobile home can overturn very easily
even if precautions have
been taken to tie down
the unit. When a tornado
warning is issued, take
shelter in a building
with a strong foundation.
If shelter is not available,
lie in ditch or low-lying
area a safe distance away
from the unit. Never stay
inside a mobile home or
travel trailer if a tornado
warning has been issued.
Evacuation is a real possibility that
your family might face
if a natural disaster
threatens your home. Every
family should have an
emergency plan that outlines
what to do, how to communicate
with family members when
evacuating, and how the
family should re-connect
in case they get separated.
Know the location and best route for
evacuation out of the
area
Practice your emergency
evacuation plan with your
family
Heed local and state-issued
evacuation orders
Be ready to leave at a
moment's notice
"Natural disasters are
unpredictable, but if
you are prepared, you
and your family will know
how to deal with them
when they happen," said
Federal Coordinating Officer
Michael Bolch.
To learn more on how to prepare your
family for the upcoming
hurricane season, visit
www.ready.gov or call
800-BE-READY. Materials,
including supply kit suggested
supplies and family communication
plan templates are available
on the website. The website
also provides information
on how to prepare for
all disasters, including
man-made and other natural
disasters.
|
Five Hurricane Names
to Be Retired
DENNIS, KATRINA, RITA, STAN AND
WILMA "RETIRED" FROM LIST OF STORM
NAMES
International Committee Selects
Replacement Names for 2011 List
April 6, 2006 -
Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita,
Stan and Wilma, all from the historic
2005 Atlantic hurricane season,
were "retired" by an international
hurricane committee of the World
Meteorological Organization, which
includes the NOAA National Hurricane
Center, during their annual meeting
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Now retired,
these five storms, part of last
season's record-setting 27 named
storms and 15 hurricanes, will not
reappear on the list of potential
storm names that is otherwise recycled
every six years. (Click NOAA illustration
for larger view of Hurricanes Dennis,
Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Click here
for high resolution version. Please
credit "NOAA.")
Dennis, Katrina,
Rita, Stan and Wilma represent the
type of devastating storm that is
"retired" for causing a large loss
of life and property. These names
will not be used again for sensitivity
reasons and to establish distinction
within the scientific and legal
communities.
For 2011, Dennis,
Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma have
been replaced with Don, Katia, Rina,
Sean and Whitney, respectively.
Since tropical cyclones
were first named in 1953, 67 names
have been retired (the first being
Carol and Hazel in 1954), and with
a total of five, 2005 has the most
retired storm names in a single
season (previous record: four in
1955, 1995 and 2004).
A synopsis of the
newly retired storms:
Dennis began its
path of destruction in early July
while passing between Jamaica and
Haiti and then crossing Cuba with
estimated top winds of 140 mph.
After tracking north across the
eastern Gulf of Mexico, Dennis came
ashore on Santa Rosa Island, Fla.,
as a Category 3 hurricane on July
10 with top winds estimated at 120
mph. At least 54 deaths are directly
or indirectly attributed to Dennis,
including 15 in the U.S, most from
within Florida.
Katrina became the costliest and
one of the deadliest hurricanes
in U.S. history with damage costs
exceeding $50 billion and fatalities,
directly and indirectly, topping
1,300. Katrina came ashore at Buras,
La., as a Category 3 hurricane on
August 29 with top winds estimated
at 125 mph. Additionally, Katrina
was a Category 1 hurricane when
it first struck the U.S. near the
Broward/Miami-Dade County line in
Florida on August 24 after bringing
tropical storm conditions to the
northern Bahamas.
Rita made landfall in extreme southwestern
Louisiana, near the Texas border,
as a Category 3 hurricane with top
winds of 115 mph on September 24.
Rita reached Category 5 strength
with top winds estimated at 180
mph over the central Gulf of Mexico,
where it had the fourth-lowest central
pressure on record (895 millibars)
in the Atlantic Basin. Rita produced
a significant storm surge that devastated
coastal communities in southwestern
Louisiana, and its wind, rain, and
tornadoes caused fatalities and
a wide swath of damage from eastern
Texas to Alabama. Rita also produced
storm surge flooding in parts of
the Florida Keys as the storm's
center passed between the Keys and
Cuba en route to the Gulf Coast.
Stan, in combination with other
weather features, produced torrential
rainfall in Mexico and Central America
where the combined death toll is
estimated to be as high as 2,000.
Stan first crossed Mexico's Yucatan
Peninsula as a tropical storm, then
moved southwest across the Bay of
Campeche and hit as a Category 1
hurricane about 90 miles southeast
of Veracruz, Mexico, on October
4.
Wilma was an extremely intense Category
5 hurricane over the northwestern
Caribbean Sea with estimated tops
winds of 185 mph and the all-time
lowest central pressure (882 millibars)
for an Atlantic Basin hurricane.
A slow-moving Wilma devastated coastal
areas of the northeastern Yucatan
Peninsula of Mexico as a Category
4 hurricane. It later raced into
South Florida-coming ashore near
Cape Romano, Fla., at Category 3
intensity with top winds estimated
at 120 mph on October 24-and inflicting
extensive damage.
NOAA, an agency
of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
is dedicated to enhancing economic
security and national safety through
the prediction and research of weather
and climate-related events and providing
environmental stewardship of the
nation's coastal and marine resources.
Through the emerging
Global Earth Observation System
of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working
with its federal partners, 61 countries
and the European Commission to develop
a global network that is as integrated
as the planet it observes, predicts
and protects.
Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Names
Reason
to Name Hurricanes
Experience shows that the use of
short, distinctive names in written
as well as spoken communications
is quicker and less subject to error
than the older, more cumbersome
latitude-longitude identification
methods. These advantages are especially
important in exchanging detailed
storm information between hundreds
of widely scattered stations, coastal
bases, and ships at sea.
The use of easily remembered names
greatly reduces confusion when two
or more tropical storms occur at
the same time. For example, one
hurricane can be moving slowly westward
in the Gulf of Mexico, while at
exactly the same time another hurricane
can be moving rapidly northward
along the Atlantic coast. In the
past, confusion and false rumors
have arisen when storm advisories
broadcast from radio stations were
mistaken for warnings concerning
an entirely different storm located
hundreds of miles away.
History
of Hurricane Names
For several hundred years many hurricanes
in the West Indies were named after
the particular saint's day on which
the hurricane occurred. Ivan R.
Tannehill describes in his book
"Hurricanes" the major tropical
storms of recorded history and mentions
many hurricanes named after saints.
For example, there was "Hurricane
Santa Ana" which struck Puerto Rico
with exceptional violence on July
26, 1825, and "San Felipe" (the
first) and "San Felipe" (the second)
which hit Puerto Rico on September
13 in both 1876 and 1928.
Tannehill also tells
of Clement Wragge, an Australian
meteorologist who began giving women's
names to tropical storms before
the end of the l9th century.
An early example
of the use of a woman's name for
a storm was in the novel "Storm"
by George R. Stewart, published
by Random House in 1941, and since
filmed by Walt Disney. During World
War II this practice became widespread
in weather map discussions among
forecasters, especially Air Force
and Navy meteorologists who plotted
the movements of storms over the
wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean.
In 1953, the United
States abandoned a confusing two-year
old plan to name storms by a phonetic
alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie)
when a new, international phonetic
alphabet was introduced. That year,
the United States began using female
names for storms.
The practice of
naming hurricanes solely after women
came to an end in 1978 when men's
and women's names were included
in the Eastern North Pacific storm
lists. In 1979, male and female
names were included in lists for
the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOAA/ National
Weather Service
National Centers for Environmental
Prediction
National Hurricane Center
Tropical Prediction Center
11691 SW 17th Street
Miami, Florida, 33165-2149 USA
nhcwebmaster@noaa.gov
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Scale
Category One Hurricane:
Winds 74-95
mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr).
Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above
normal. No real damage to building
structures. Damage primarily to
unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery,
and trees. Some damage to poorly
constructed signs. Also, some coastal
road flooding and minor pier damage.
Hurricane Lili of 2002 made landfall
on the Louisiana coast as a Category
One hurricane. Hurricane Gaston
of 2004 was a Category One hurricane
that made landfall along the central
South Carolina coast.
Category Two
Hurricane:
Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177
km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8
feet above normal. Some roofing
material, door, and window damage
of buildings. Considerable damage
to shrubbery and trees with some
trees blown down. Considerable damage
to mobile homes, poorly constructed
signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying
escape routes flood 2-4 hours before
arrival of the hurricane center.
Small craft in unprotected anchorages
break moorings. Hurricane Frances
of 2004 made landfall over the southern
end of Hutchinson Island, Florida
as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane
Isabel of 2003 made landfall near
Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of
North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.
Category Three
Hurricane:
Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or
178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally
9-12 ft above normal. Some structural
damage to small residences and utility
buildings with a minor amount of
curtainwall failures. Damage to
shrubbery and trees with foliage
blown off trees and large trees
blown down. Mobile homes and poorly
constructed signs are destroyed.
Low-lying escape routes are cut
by rising water 3-5 hours before
arrival of the center of the hurricane.
Flooding near the coast destroys
smaller structures with larger structures
damaged by battering from floating
debris. Terrain continuously lower
than 5 ft above mean sea level may
be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km)
or more. Evacuation of low-lying
residences with several blocks of
the shoreline may be required. Hurricanes
Jeanne and Ivan of 2004 were Category
Three hurricanes when they made
landfall in Florida and in Alabama,
respectively.
Category Four
Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or
210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally
13-18 ft above normal. More extensive
curtainwall failures with some complete
roof structure failures on small
residences. Shrubs, trees, and all
signs are blown down. Complete destruction
of mobile homes. Extensive damage
to doors and windows. Low-lying
escape routes may be cut by rising
water 3-5 hours before arrival of
the center of the hurricane. Major
damage to lower floors of structures
near the shore. Terrain lower than
10 ft above sea level may be flooded
requiring massive evacuation of
residential areas as far inland
as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley
of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane
made landfall in Charlotte County,
Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane
Dennis of 2005 struck the island
of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane.
Category Five
Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135
kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally
greater than 18 ft above normal.
Complete roof failure on many residences
and industrial buildings. Some complete
building failures with small utility
buildings blown over or away. All
shrubs, trees, and signs blown down.
Complete destruction of mobile homes.
Severe and extensive window and
door damage. Low-lying escape routes
are cut by rising water 3-5 hours
before arrival of the center of
the hurricane. Major damage to lower
floors of all structures located
less than 15 ft above sea level
and within 500 yards of the shoreline.
Massive evacuation of residential
areas on low ground within 5-10
miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline
may be required. Only 3 Category
Five Hurricanes have made landfall
in the United States since records
began: The Labor Day Hurricane of
1935, Hurricane Camille (1969),
and Hurricane Andrew in August,
1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane
struck the Florida Keys with a minimum
pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure
ever observed in the United States.
Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi
Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm
surge, which inundated Pass Christian.
Hurricane Andrew of 1992 made landfall
over southern Miami-Dade County,
Florida causing 26.5 billion dollars
in losses--the costliest hurricane
on record. In addition, Hurricane
Gilbert of 1988 was a Category Five
hurricane at peak intensity and
is the strongest Atlantic tropical
cyclone on record with a minimum
pressure of 888 mb.
These
are the 10 deadliest hurricanes
in the United States, according
to records kept since 1900. Damages
are adjusted to 1990 dollars based
on U.S. Department of Commerce construction
cost indexes.
The National Weather
Service began routinely using female
names for hurricanes in 1953. In
1979 men's name were added. Category
numbers are assigned according to
the Saffir/Simpson hurricane scale,
based on wind speeds within the
storm.
Hurricane
Year Category $ Damages
1. Andrew 1992 4 $25,000,000,000
2. Hugo 1989 4 $7,155,120,000
3. Betsy 1965 3 $6,461,303,000
4. Agnes 1972 1 $6,418,143,000
5. Camille 1969 5 $5,242,380,000
6. Diane 1955 1 $4,199,645,000
7. Hurricane in New England 1938
3 $3,593,853,000
8. Frederic 1979 3 $3,502,942,000
9. Alicia 1983 3 $2,391,854,000
10. Carol 1954 3 $2,370,215,000
The 10 most intense
hurricanes in the united States
based on recorded pressure at time
of landfall, according to records
kept since 1900. The lower the pressure,
the more intense the hurricane.
Hurricane •
Year • Category • Pressure
in inches/In millibars
1. Florida Keys 1935 5 26.35/892
2. Camille 1969 5 26.84/909
3. Andrew 1992 4 27.23/922
4. Florida Keys and S. Texas 1919
4 27.37/927
5. Lake Okeechobee, Fla. 1928 4
27.43/929
6. Donna 1960 4 27.46/930
7. Galveston, Texas 1990 4 27.49/931
7. Grand Isle, La. 1909 4 27.49/931
7. New Orleans, La., 1915 4 27.49/931
7. Carla 1961 4 27.49/931
8. Hugo 1989 4 27.58/934
9. Miami, Fla. 1926 4 27.61/935
10. Hazel 1954 4 27.70/938
These are the 10 deadliest hurricanes
in the United States listing the
numbers of deaths.
Hurricane
Year
Category
Deaths
1. Galveston, Texas 1900 4 6,000
2. Lake Okeechobee, Fla. 1928 4
1,836
3. Florida Keys and S. Texas 1919
4 600
4. New England 1938 3 600
5. Florida Keys 1935 5 408
6. Audrey 1957 4 390
7. Northeast Coast 1944 3 390
8. Grande Isle, La. 1909 4 350
9. New Orleans, La. 1915 4 275
10. Galveston, Texas 1915 4 275
As hurricane forecasting has improved,
fewer human lives have been lost.
But property damages keep going
up as the economy levels and prices
get higher.
HURRICANE
INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET
National
Hurricane Center / Tropical Prediction
Center
National Hurricane Center site providing
detailed location and forecasting
of tropical storms and hurricanes.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Hurricane
and Tropical Storm Tracking
Tracks hurricane and tropical storm
activity for the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. In English and Spanish.
http://hurricane.terrapin.com/
Hurricane
Central
Updated 24 hours a day with the
latest hurricane coordinates and
data. Includes an interactive tracking...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/storm/
Hurricane
Hunters
Fly into the eye of a hurricane
with the Air Force Reserve Hurricane
Hunters.
http://www.hurricanehunters.com/
Miami
Museum of Science-Hurricane Main
Menu
CLICK on any title above to find
out more about hurricanes. Or see
the current weather data at the
Miami Museum of Science. For current
hurricane data, ...
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/
Hurricanes:
An Online Meteorology Guide
Sequenced web sections covering
definitions and mechanics of a hurricane,
stages of development, physical...
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml
Weather
Underground Tropical
Atlantic satellite map, sea surface
temperature and hurricane advisory
providing links to weather...
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/
weather.com
- Hurricane Central: Today's Outlook
Hurricane warnings remain in effect
of the Florida Gulf Coast but there
is only the slimmest possibility
that Alberto will become strong
enough to become a ...
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/
Hurricanes
Storm surges are very dangerous
and a major reason why you MUST
stay away from the ocean during
a hurricane warning or hurricane.
...
http://www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm
Tropical
cyclone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hurricane Katrina encountering the
Gulf Loop Current and Eddy Vortex.
... A tropical cyclone (or hurricane
or typhoon) is a system with sustained
winds ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane
United
States - Hurricane and Tropical
Storm Reports
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT
FOR THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM
LONGBOAT KEY TO THE OCHLOCKONEE
RIVER. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS
THAT HURRICANE ...
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/us/hurricane.html
HurrWarn
National Hurricane Center, Warnings
and Watches, Tracking ...
Hurricane Watches and Warnings,
News, Storm Tracks, Broadcast Quality
Satellite and Radar Imagery.
http://www.hurrwarn.com/
Hurricane
Warning!
Hurricane Warning! will be a state
of the art, innovative learning
experience that will entertain visitors
as they become immersed in educational
...
http://www.hurricanewarning.org/
National
Weather Service
A Hurricane WARNING is in effect
for the gulf coast of Florida from
Longboat Key to the Ochlockonee
River. A Tropical Storm WARNING
is in effect south of ...
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
Fla.
issues hurricane warning, evacuations
- Hurricane Watch ...
Tropical Storm Alberto could become
a Category 1 hurricane, the National
Hurricane Center said Monday as
it issued a hurricane warning for
northwest Florida ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13272123/
BBC
NEWS | Americas | Florida given
hurricane warning
US hurricane monitors issue a warning
for parts of Florida's west coast
as the first storm of the season
approaches.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5072350.stm
BBC
NEWS | World | Americas | Bahamas
put on hurricane warning
The Bahamas and Florida are readying
themselves for the latest savage
hurricane to hit the region.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3687938.stm
Hurricane
Warning Issued Along Fla. Gulf Coast
- New York Times
Evacuations were ordered in some
areas as the season's first tropical
storm intensified in the Gulf of
Mexico.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/us/11cnd-s
... ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Hurricane
Watch and Warning
Hurricane Watch and Warning - Hurricane
Watch - A hurricane watch means
residents in a designated coastal
area could experience hurricane
conditions w.
http://www.bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Hurrica
... _Watch_and_Warning--T1252.html
Be Prepared For
2006 Hurricane Season
Release Date: March 13, 2006
Release Number: 1605-196
MONTGOMERY, Ala.
-- With the June 1st start of hurricane
season less than three months away,
and work still being done to recover
from the 2005 season, the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and Alabama
Emergency Management Agency urges
Alabamians to prepare early for
the upcoming hurricane season.
While all Alabamians
should have a plan for when natural
disasters strike, those who live
in mobile homes and travel trailers
should be particularly alert to
approaching tropical storms, hurricanes,
and tornadoes. According to the
2000 census, over 300,000 families
live in Alabama mobile homes, making
the need for disaster preparedness
a priority. Currently, FEMA is temporarily
housing more than 6,400 people in
travel trailers throughout the state.
Disaster preparedness
begins with each family and household
having a plan. FEMA recommends that
you have a ready-to-go emergency
kit that will allow you to survive
unaided for three days. A kit should
include the following:
First aid kit
(including prescription medicines)
Food and water for up to 72 hours
Extra clothing and blankets
Flashlights and extra batteries
The following supplies are recommended:
NOAA Weather Radio
and extra batteries
Whistle to signal for help
A camp stove with extra fuel
Foldable ladders for second-story
escape in a fire
Photocopies of credit and identification
cards
Food and Water
In addition to
an emergency kit, families should
be prepared with up to three days
of food and water for each member.
Basic foods, like canned foods,
dry foods, and other non-perishable
items are best to have because if
electricity goes out, they will
still be edible. Here are some tips:
Keep foods on
hand that everyone in your family
will like to eat
Avoid foods that are high in fat
and protein
Don't stock salty foods, since they
will make you thirsty
The average person requires two
quarts of drinking water per day.
Some individuals, like children
or nursing mothers, may require
more. A gallon per day for each
person in your family is the recommended
amount, say American Red Cross officials.
If you are running low on water,
don't ration. To lessen the amount
you need, reduce your activity.
If water is unavailable
from household sources, water from
rain, streams or rivers, and natural
springs can be used. However, water
from any outdoor source must first
be purified before it can be used
for potable or hygienic purposes.
Boiling, disinfecting (by means
of adding 16 drops of bleach per
gallon of water) and distillation
are the three recommended methods
of purification.
Be
Ready to Evacuate
Mobile homes and
travel trailers are particularly
vulnerable to severe weather because
of their instability. Since hurricanes
can trigger quickly forming tornadoes,
residents should be prepared to
leave at a moments notice.
A mobile home
can overturn very easily even if
precautions have been taken to tie
down the unit. When a tornado warning
is issued, take shelter in a building
with a strong foundation. If shelter
is not available, lie in ditch or
low-lying area a safe distance away
from the unit. Never stay inside
a mobile home or travel trailer
if a tornado warning has been issued.
Evacuation is
a real possibility that your family
might face if a natural disaster
threatens your home. Every family
should have an emergency plan that
outlines what to do, how to communicate
with family members when evacuating,
and how the family should re-connect
in case they get separated.
Know the location
and best route for evacuation out
of the area
Practice your emergency evacuation
plan with your family
Heed local and state-issued evacuation
orders
Be
ready to leave at a moment's notice
"Natural disasters are unpredictable,
but if you are prepared, you and
your family will know how to deal
with them when they happen,"
said Federal Coordinating Officer
Michael Bolch.
To learn more
on how to prepare your family for
the upcoming hurricane season, visit
www.ready.gov
or call 800-BE-READY. Materials,
including supply kit suggested supplies
and family communication plan templates
are available on the website. The
website also provides information
on how to prepare for all disasters,
including man-made and other natural
disasters.