Getting Ready for Hurricane Season

Today's post is by Hannah d'Entremont, a public relations and political science students at West Virginia University.  She's also one of APHA's summer interns!

Do you remember how bad Hurricane Katrina was? What about Hurricane Sandy? Both hurricanes — which hit New Orleans and the northeast U.S., respectively — caused a lot of damage. They also caused many preventable injuries and deaths.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic began on June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Hurricanes can be dangerous and life-threatening. So it’s important to understand ways to stay safe.

Hurricanes are rated on a scale of one through five, with one being the weakest and five being the strongest. Sandy made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, and Katrina was a Category 3 when it hit Louisiana. But all hurricanes are dangerous, no matter their category. Strong winds and debris can cause damage to people, homes and communities.

Super-storm Sandy making landfall in the United States.
Photo credit: Rob Gutro,

Goddard Space Flight Center

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this year’s hurricane season should include six to 11 named storms, three to six of which should become hurricanes. With that in mind, it makes sense to be prepared. Learn about your community’s hurricane warning system, evacuation routes and nearby hurricane shelters. (You should also know these things if you’re vacationing in an area at-risk for hurricanes.) Make a plan with your family. Write down emergency phone numbers and identify a meeting place in case you have to evacuate in a hurry and all family members are not together. Never ignore evacuation orders.

You should also have supplies such as food, water, medicine, safety items, personal care products and an emergency kit for your car packed and ready to go. Include paper maps in your kit in case electricity and cellphones aren’t working. Fill up your gas tank in advance if a storm is predicted to head your way.

For more hurricane tips, check out our Get Ready fact sheet on hurricanes.

As hurricane season comes to an end, now’s a good time to think ahead to next year

Credit: NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory

Nov. 30 marks the official end of the hurricane season, which luckily was relatively quiet this year. While the 2014 season was slow, there’s no guarantee it will be the same way next year, especially as research shows that climate change is making bad weather worse. With that in mind, now’s a good time to restock hurricane supplies and review your plans.

And remember, being prepared for hurricanes will also help you be ready for other emergencies or disasters, such as winter weather — which is right around the corner.

There are a few main things to remember when preparing for hurricanes. The first is to know the dangers, which can include heavy rainfall, flooding and high winds.

The second part of preparing for a hurricane is having supplies. Everyone should have supplies stored to last at least three days, including non-perishable food, water, medicine and prescriptions, a battery-operated radio, batteries, flashlights and a first-aid kit. The Get Ready campaign offers a great list of supplies that should be in your stockpile.

Have your emergency supplies packed and ready to go in a portable container, and never ignore evacuation orders. Have an evacuation plan ready. Go over the evacuation plan with your family. Remember that you should prepare for the specific needs of yourself, your family and your pets. Take time now to learn the official evacuation routes for your community and where shelters are located.

Injuries can occur during evacuation because of water and debris. Clean up and repairs can also cause injuries. In fact, a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that many hurricane-related injuries occur well after the storm is over. Common injuries include cuts to the arms, legs and hands and back sprains. Make sure to pack extra bandages, including gauze and bandage tape, in your first-aid kit for these types of injuries.

Visit CDC’s website for more hurricane preparedness tips and download Get Ready’s hurricane fact sheet in English or Spanish.

Preparing for hurricane season: New podcast features tips from National Hurricane Center

The 2013 hurricane season is now officially underway. To help Americans be prepared, the Get Ready Report Podcast team spoke with staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center.

According to NOAA, there’s a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms this season, well above the seasonal average of 12. The agency says as many as 11 of those storms could become hurricanes.

Hurricanes can cause three major hazards: strong winds, storm surges and inland flooding, according to James Franklin, branch chief at the National Hurricane Center.

“People need to know what those hazards can do, and then know which of those hazards you’re particularly vulnerable to, depending on where you live,” Franklin says in the new podcast.

Anyone who lives along the East Coast from Texas to Maine is at potential risk. But Franklin notes that hurricanes are not just coastal threats, citing 2012’s Hurricane Sandy as an example of when wind gusts were produced as far as Wisconsin.

Here are some tips to use this hurricane season:

• Become familiar with information and alerts from both the National Hurricane Center and your local weather center. 
• Understand the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning. During a watch, prepare your home, review your plan for evacuation and listen closely for instructions from local officials. During a warning, finish preparations and immediately leave the threatened area if directed by officials.
• Develop a plan that includes an evacuation strategy and an emergency supply kit, including enough water and nonperishable food to last at least three days, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, a battery-operated radio, extra batteries and medical supplies. 

 For more tips on how to prepare for hurricanes, check out our Get Ready hurricane fact sheet.