Prepare Now for Hurricane Season

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- June marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season and the time to prepare is now, before the season heats up, according to the commander of the Naval Safety Center.

Rear Adm. Brian C. Prindle, commander, Naval Safety Center, says preparations should include the whole family during the hurricane season, which continues through the end of November.

"While the forecast calls for a relatively light hurricane season, it only takes one storm making landfall on our coast to wreak havoc," Prindle said. "The time to prepare for a hurricane is now, not the day before a storm hits when store shelves are bare and checkout lines are long."

The National Hurricane Center advises there are two stages to hurricane safety. Prepare for a storm well ahead of time and then act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials. The preparedness stage starts now with having a basic disaster kit on hand, including items such as: water, non-perishable food, flashlight and batteries, manual can opener and solar cell phone charger

Once it appears likely that a hurricane landfall is imminent, add items such as prescription medications, glasses, pet food and extra water, cash or traveler's checks, and important family documents.

"Involve the entire family in disaster plans as well, and know where you will all evacuate to should it become necessary. A little planning now will ensure the safety of your family with fewer headaches later," Prindle said.

The dangers posed by a hurricane are not just high winds, but also heavy rains and flooding and tornados. Tropical storm Beryl, which recently made landfall in Jacksonville, Fla., proved that even smaller storms can cause problems. It weakened to a slow-moving tropical depression soon after making landfall, but heavy rainfall caused flash flooding up the eastern seaboard. The storm is blamed for four fatalities, with one person still missing.

For more information about hurricane safety, visit the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

For more news from Naval Safety Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nsc/.