Are you ready for Hurricane Season 2012
Preparing Makes Sense A short instructional video explaining the key steps to emergency preparedness, including: being informed, making a plan, building a kit, and getting involved. |
Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30. Citizens should be prepared for a hurricane throughout the hurricane season, well before a watch or warning is issued.
Print this page to have the information handy during a hurricane.
- Hurricane Watch: An official warning for a Hurricane Watch indicates the possibility of a hurricane to strike within 24 to 36 hours.
- Hurricane Warning: A Hurricane Warning indicates that a hurricane is expected to strike in 24 hours or less.
| Prepare emergency supplies: | |
| Bottled Water Cash Fuel for portable stove or grill Manual Can Opener Battery-operated Radio & Clock Flashlights Batteries First Aid Supplies Matches | Window Protection & Masking Tape Disposable Plates, Utensils, & Cups Ice Chest & Ice Non-perishable Foods Fuel for Cars & Generators Charcoal & Lighter Fluid Emergency equipment is working properly Store enough supplies to last 2 weeks Have materials on hand to secure your home Trees and shrubs should be kept well trimmed |
Hurricane Information
- Broward County - Hurricane Preparedness
- FEMA Urges Residents To Get Ready For Hurricane Season (News Release from FEMA)
National Preparedness Month: Get An Emergency Kit
We are more than halfway through National Preparedness Month, and we hope you’ve been able to take steps to get prepared for emergencies. Earlier this month, we talked about two simple steps you can take to get prepared for an emergency – staying informed and creating an emergency plan.
This week, we’re encouraging you to round out your preparedness efforts by creating or updating your emergency kit. Having an emergency kit in your home, car and workplace will allow you to have enough supplies for at least three days in case local officials and relief workers cannot reach everyone immediately after a disaster.
Building an emergency kit can be inexpensive and fun. Ready.gov has a complete list of resources and tips you’ll need to make your emergency kit. Be sure to tailor your kit to any special needs you and your family may have. For example:
- Include waterproof boots or shoes if your local area is vulnerable to flooding,
- Include refills of important prescriptions, and
- If space allows, add children’s games to keep them entertained
For Families:
- Get an emergency supply kit. Be sure to consider additional items to accommodate family members’ special needs:
- Prescription medications and glasses
- Infant formula and diapers
- Pet food, extra water for your pet, leash and collar
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
- Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
- Make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. Before an emergency happens, sit down together and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency.
- Determine a neighborhood meeting place, a regional meeting place and an evacuation location.
- Identify an out-of-town emergency contact. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact is important to help communicate among separated family members. Be sure every member of your family knows the out-of-town phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether, but be patient.
- You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time, such as their place of employment. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one.
- Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.
For Parents:
If you are a parent, or guardian of an elderly or disabled individual, make sure schools and daycare providers have emergency response plans:
- Ask how they will communicate with families during a crisis.
- Ask if they store adequate food, water and other basic supplies.
- Find out if they are prepared to "shelter-in-place" if need be, and where they plan to go if they must get away.
For Workplaces:
- Take a critical look at your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to determine if it is secure or if it could feasibly be upgraded to better filter potential contaminants, and be sure you know how to turn it off if you need to.
- Think about what to do if your employees can't go home.
- Make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand.
For Communities:
- Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door. Contact a nearby Citizen Corps Council for help with emergency planning, or work with your local government and emergency management office to help start a Council in your area. Visit citizencorps.gov to find local Councils or learn how to start one in your community.
Shelter:
- Know your evacuation route if you plan on leaving your residence and plan what you should bring with you
- Shelters have limited supplies
- Bring food, medicine, water, medical supplies, pillows, blankets and personal care items
- Bring such items as books, magazines and games for children.
Seniors:
- See Disaster Preparedness & Senior Disaster Checklist (Social Services)
Pets & Shelters:
- Make arrangements for pet shelters ; only a special shelter will not admit them.
Advanced registration is required - Pet Hurricane Hotline: 954-266-6871
Tips:
- Keep a list and photocopies of prescriptions and medications.
- Be prepared for taking care of elderly relatives or friends and their residences
- Residents should remain in their homes during a hurricane unless there is a valid reason to leave
Most new homes have been built to the high standards of the South Florida Building Code and many older homes were constructed with the destructive forces of a hurricane in mind. It's fairly simple to determine if you should go to a shelter.
Plan to go to a shelter if:
- You are in an evacuation zone and have been advised by authorities to evacuate
- You live in a mobile home or you are staying in a trailer or tent
- You live in a high-rise building
- Anyone in the household suffers from health related problems
- Your residence is in a deteriorated condition
- You just don't feel safe
- If you plan to evacuate your residence, LEAVE EARLY
- Don't get stuck in traffic or flooded areas
- Follow evacuation advisories
When a Hurricane Watch is posted:
- Raise the settings on your refrigerator & freezer to the coldest temperature;
- don't open the doors unless absolutely necessary
- Freeze water in plastic containers and use to fill in space and keep food cold
- Clean your bathtub thoroughly; wipe with unscented bleach; rinse tub and let dry; fill with water to serve as a sanitary water reserve.
- Cover windows with shutters or plywood
- Unplug your TV prior to disconnecting a satellite dish
- Turn the power off to your pool pump and cover it with plastic
- Add extra chlorine to pool water to avoid contamination
- Bring loose outdoor objects, like trashcans, potted plants, lawn furniture, etc... inside
- Fill the gas tanks of all vehicles and have cash available
- Store important documents and valuables in waterproof containers and place in the highest possible location
- Carry identification with you such as a driver's license
- If you have a boat, store it in a garage or warehouse. Otherwise, be sure the boat is well secured to the trailer and attach the trailer to something that is firmly planted in the ground. Deflate the trailer tires for additional stability.
During a Hurricane:
- Stay indoors. Weather conditions usually deteriorate quickly just before a Hurricane's worst weather arrives.
- As the Eye (center) of the hurricane passes over, continue to stay indoors unless emergency repairs are needed. It's unpredictable when the other side of the hurricane will arrive with potentially worse weather than before
- Strong winds may cause structural damage and may create deadly projectiles out of loose objects
If Winds Become Strong:
- Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered
- Take refuge in a small first-floor interior room, closet or hallway
- Keep a battery-operated radio or TV, flashlight, and a gallon of water with you
- Identify a clear escape path in the event of a fire
- Close all interior doors.
- Brace exterior doors, especially double-inward opening doors and garage doors.
- Lie on the floor under sturdy objects.
After a Hurricane:
- Remain indoors until an official "all clear" has been announced
- Continue to listen to weather reports from the National Hurricane Center and local officials
- DO NOT use your telephone except for emergencies.
- DO NOT call 911 except for life-threatening emergencies
- DO NOT report individual interruptions of electric, gas, water, or telephone service
- Report individual trouble only after general service has been restored to your area
- DO report downed power lines and broken gas or water mains
- NEVER go near or touch a downed power line
- Consider every power line deadly, whether or not it seems to be live
- Avoid injuries after a hurricane
- Be careful with equipment such as a chainsaw
- Most injuries following a hurricane occur as a result of carelessness with equipment
- NEVER use a grill (gas or charcoal) indoors; it may cause carbon monoxide poisoning
- Avoid standing water as it may be contaminated
- Do not refreeze thawed food. If possible, cook and refrigerate it
NOAA's Atlantic hurricane season update calls for increase in named storms; Forecasters have higher confidence for an active season NOAA issued its updated 2011 Atlantic hurricane season outlook today raising the number of expected named storms from its pre-season outlook issued in May. Forecasters also increased their confidence that 2011 will be an active Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, updates its Atlantic hurricane season outlook every August. “The atmosphere and Atlantic Ocean are primed for high hurricane activity during August through October,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Storms through October will form more frequently and become more intense than we’ve seen so far this season.” Key climate factors predicted in May continue to support an active season. These include: the tropical multi-decadal signal, which since 1995 has brought favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions, leading to more active seasons; exceptionally warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures (the third warmest on record); and the possible redevelopment of La Niña. Reduced vertical wind shear and lower air pressure across the tropical Atlantic also favor an active season. Based on these conditions and on climate model forecasts, the confidence for an above-normal season has increased from 65 percent in May to 85 percent. Also, the expected number of named storms has increased from 12-18 in May to 14-19, and the expected number of hurricanes has increased from 6-10 in May to 7-10. Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the whole season – June 1 to November 30 – NOAA’s updated seasonal outlook projects, with a 70 percent probability, a total of: •14 to 19 named storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including: The Atlantic basin has already produced five tropical storms this season: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don and Emily. All eyes this week are on Emily, which continues to develop and move towards the United States. The last hurricane to make landfall in the United States was Ike in 2008. Last year saw above-normal hurricane activity, but none made landfall in the United States. August through October are peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season, and FEMA urges people not to be lured into a false sense of security by the lack of hurricanes so far this year. "It is still early in this hurricane season and we know it can take only one storm to devastate communities and families," said FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino. "Many disasters come without warning, but that’s not the case with hurricanes. This is hurricane season, if you haven't already, now is the time to take a few simple steps to get you and your family prepared. Anyone can visit www.ready.govto learn more." Be prepared for the hurricane season with important information available online at hurricanes.gov/prepare and at FEMA’s ready.gov. |
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| Colorado State Forecast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PROBABILITIES FOR AT LEAST ONE MAJOR (CATEGORY 3-4-5) HURRICANE LANDFALL ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING COASTAL AREAS:
- Entire U.S. coastline - 72% (average for last century is 52%)
- U.S. East Coast Including Peninsula Florida - 48% (average for last century is 31%)
- Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville - 47% (average for last century is 30%)
PROBABILITY FOR AT LEAST ONE MAJOR (CATEGORY 3-4-5) HURRICANE TRACKING INTO THE CARIBBEAN (10-20°N, 60-88°W)
- 61% (average for last century is 42%)
The full report is at http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/2011/april2011/apr2011.pdf
| Names for Hurricanes |
How did naming hurricanes develop?
Hurricanes have been given names since the early 1900’s, when an Australian weatherman would give names to storms he tracked to help keep them apart. He enjoyed naming them after politicians he didn’t like so that could talk about the destruction that they caused. When the U.S. Army got heavily into weather forecasting during World War II, workers there would start to nickname the storm systems after their wives and girlfriends, to give them their 15 minutes of fame. Soon they began to start with A and move through the letters of the alphabet, to make tracking the systems easier. In 1953, the National Weather Service picked up on the habit of Navy meteorologists of naming the storms after women. Ships were always referred to as female, and were often given women's names. At that time they believed the storms' temperament certainly seemed female enough through the shifting directions at a whim on a moment's notice. In 1970, the National Weather service had this responsibility, and moved to include men’s names as well. Names are chosen for 6 years in a row, and then cycle around to the first set of names again. If a storm is truly memorable, that name is retired and a new one chosen to take its place.- FACT SHEET: 2011 Hurricane Season Preparedness
- Special Needs Population
- Stores with Generators
This file contains a listing various retail outlets such as Publix, Winn Dixie, Home Depot, and others that may be opened during power outages.
We highly recommend you inform yourself before the hurricane. Visit the following links and print the pages you need to keep handy.