Private
Sector Advisory
FEMA Encourages People to Prepare Now for the 2017
Atlantic Hurricane Season
June 1, 2017
WASHINGTON – The Atlantic hurricane season starts today, and there is no
better time to get ready than now. The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) encourages residents and businesses across the nation to prepare by
understanding their risk, planning together for the entire family, and
downloading the FEMA App.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate
Prediction Center seasonal outlook for 2017, released last week, states that
the Atlantic could see an above-normal hurricane season this year. The full
seasonal forecast is linked at www.noaa.gov/media-release/above-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-is-most-likely-year.
Both hurricanes and tropical systems have the potential to cause serious
damage to coastal and inland areas. Their hazards could come in many
forms including storm surge, heavy rainfall, coastal and inland flooding, high
winds, and tornadoes.
“The time to prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms is now, before a
threat even exists,” said FEMA Acting Administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. “We
want people who live in coastal and nearby inland areas to know where they can
get reliable information; prepare their home and workplace ahead of time; know
if they live in an evacuation zone and be familiar with evacuation routes.
Knowing what to do and practicing your plan now can make the difference between
life and death if a hurricane or tropical storm does strike.”
There is a lot of information available to help individuals and communities
prepare:
Know
Your Risk: Residents should learn what types
of natural disasters are common in their state. NOAA’s
historical hurricane tracks tool provides information on the severity and
frequency of past hurricanes.
Learn
Your Flood Risk: Flooding is the nation’s most frequent
and costly natural disaster. Go to FloodSmart.gov and learn how to protect your
home or business. Purchase a flood insurance policy if you do not already have
one.
Make
A Plan: Residents should speak with their family today
about how they will communicate with each other during a significant weather
event when they may not be together, or during an evacuation order.
Download
the FEMA App: The FEMA App contains important information
on what to do before, during, and after a hurricane. The App also allows users
to receive weather alerts from NOAA’s National Weather Service, includes
lifesaving safety tips, and provides access to disaster resources should
survivors need them. The App is available in the Apple
App store or the Google
Play store, and is also available
in Spanish.
Know
your evacuation zone: Evacuation zones are areas that may
be impacted by hurricane flooding. Many communities designate evacuation zones
and routes to get citizens to safety. This information is typically found on
the websites of state, county, or town emergency management offices. If a
hurricane threatens a community and local officials say it's time to evacuate,
residents should evacuate immediately. Do not wait for the next forecast.
While much attention is often given to the Atlantic hurricane season, there
are tropical systems that can affect many other areas around the nation. To
learn more about hurricane seasons in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, visit www.hurricanes.gov.
To learn more on how to prepare before, during, and after a hurricane, visit www.ready.gov.
Additional tips and resources:
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Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog,
www.twitter.com/fema,
www.facebook.com/fema
and www.youtube.com/fema.
Also, follow Acting Administrator Bob Fenton's activities at www.twitter.com/bobatfema.
The social media links provided are for reference
only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or
applications.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure
that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability
to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all
hazards.
