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June Safety Newsletter (Sign up here to get upcoming newsletters - FREE!)
Hurricane Season - No Sweat?
June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a busy 2007. Between now and the end of November, forecasters have predicted 13 to 17 named storms, 7 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes.
Unfortunately, a new poll commissioned by American Initiatives found residents of Atlantic and Gulf Coast states unprepared and surprisingly unconcerned.
The Mason-Dixon poll surveyed 1,100 adults in hurricane-prone states during early May, 2007 and has set off alarm bells at emergency response organizations at every level. According to a May 31, 2007 press release from the National Hurricane Survival Initiative, these are “the first early-warning signs” that have emergency management officials worried:
- 53% don’t feel vulnerable to a hurricane or related tornado or flooding
- 52% have no family disaster plan
- 61% have no hurricane survival kit
- 88% have taken no steps to make their homes stronger
- And 16% said they might not or would not evacuate even if ordered to do so, leaving thousands of residents at grave risk in the path of any given storm.
“Nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina shocked and horrified the nation, far too many residents are still unprepared for storms,” said Bill Proenza, director of the National Hurricane Center. “Last year’s below normal hurricane season may have resulted in coastal residents being lulled into a false sense of complacency. This hurricane season promises to be an active one, so it is imperative residents get ready before a storm catches them unprepared.”
No wonder officials are alarmed! Among other findings, 11% of those surveyed said they were responsible for an elderly or disabled person with a third of those saying they had no plan for that person in the event of a hurricane! 88% of pet owners said they would take their pets with them hoping to find lodging or shelters that accept pets, yet few do!
During a recent news conference, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was blunt in his statement, calling preparation, awareness and adherence to directions from emergency officials a civic responsibility. “It is the preparation of individuals, families and businesses that makes the difference between survival and disaster when a hurricane hits.”, he added later.
On May 31, 2007, American Initiatives announced the launch of the 2007 National Hurricane Survival Initiative to educate residents in hurricane vulnerable states about risks and what they should do to prepare.
The initiative’s website www.hurricanesafety.org features all of the information you will need to make plans and prepare properly for a hurricane. The Mason-Dixon poll results are posted in detail along with additional facts and preparation advice. Much more hurricane safety information is available on the site as well.
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