Hurricane Preparedness Blog

We worked all night and got a single Tropical Storm Bonnie Resource page online at http://onestorm.org/track/tropical-storm-bonnie.htmlLet us know if you have any questions throughout the storm here or on our new Hurricane Answers site. We’re here to help! Also, we can’t help but point out one of the coolest features on the resource page - a GovLive news widget showing official Tropical Storm Bonnie releases from government agencies in real-time.

Take a look below at late-season storm Ida, making its way to the Southeast coastline.

It’s almost the end of hurricane season, but Ida shows that storms can brew late in the year, and occasionally, even before and after the season.  So check your hurricane supplies and plans now.  Make sure you have what you need, especially if there is a chance, even a small one, that you may be affected by Ida.

If Ida could impact you or your family, here are some helpful links you may want to check out:

State Traffic and Road Closure Info
Hurricane Center Video Briefings
National Hurricane Center
Create a Hurricane Plan

Open Shelters by State:

• State of Florida Shelters
• State of Louisiana Shelters
• State of Alabama Shelters

The best defense you can have against any storm is to stay prepared, in-season, out-of-season, and late-in-season. Click here to create, finish, or review your hurricane plan today.

Welcome to hurricane season 2009.    We hope that you have already completed your preparedness plans, but if not, let’s finish those up quickly- it’s not going to be long before you’re plotting the storms on our new hurricane tracking map.

Some exciting things have been happening over here at the OneStorm camp.   Let us update you on our big news:

• We won the Florida Governor’s Public Information Award at the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference in May.   This award is given to the organization that has developed an innovative and effective public education tool that has improved hurricane preparedness in the State of Florida.   Charlie Crist even presented us with the award.   (See the pic!)
• ReadyTown has been unveiled.   This is our first commercial product that prepares populations for all disasters.   Your business, local government, or community organization can easily add these unique widgets onto their website and prepare their employees or members for any disaster.   Click here to view why we’re so excited about these one-of-a-kind disaster preparedness tools.
• OneStorm is now tweeting on Twitter and being friended on Facebook.   Follow us to be notified of the latest Hurricane Preparedness Blog posts, OneStorm news, and preparedness information.
• We would love to hear how OneStorm has helped you prepare.   So much so, that with your testimonial, we will enter you into a drawing for a free hurricane supply kit.   This will be in the form of a $100 gift card redeemable at a retailer in your area. Please e-mail heidi@onestorm.org with your testimonial today.
• Last but not least, check out World Emergency Report.   This new site offers the latest on all emergencies and is updated daily.  There’s no better way to stay in the know.

That’s the news for now, but until next time, start, review, or finish your hurricane plans.    Even if you’ve made a plan in the recent past, it may need some polishing off and updating, so be sure to check it out regardless of how prepared you consider yourself to be.

Happy planning!

Hurricanes can affect children differently than adults.   A child’s life is heavily influenced by school and after-school activities, and when a hurricane affects this routine, a child’s world is turned upside down.   Oftentimes this can produce stress and confusion in a child’s life, and as adults, we may find it easier to cope than our children.   As we have mentioned before, an important part of preparing is accounting for the special needs of everyone in our family.   Because of their age, children will be uniquely impacted by hurricanes, and as adults, we can help prepare our children for the drastic changes hurricanes can bring before the drastic changes arrive.

An important part of preparing your family for hurricanes is creating a family hurricane plan that the entire family is involved in.   Just as preparing a hurricane plan helps ease your stress about hurricanes, it can also help children feel the same way.   As you put together a family hurricane plan, discuss this plan with everyone in the family.   Don’t brush off children’s questions about hurricanes, but consider limiting their exposure to graphic images of hurricanes on television, on the computer, and in the newspaper.   Encourage children to talk about their fears and ask questions; go over important safety rules with them.  As you put your  disaster supplies together, help your children be a part of this activity.   Have them get together items that they would like to take with them in the event of evacuation, or take your child shopping with you to pick up disaster supplies, explaining to them which items are practical.

There are helpful and fun activities online that can help a child prepare for disaster.  FEMA for Kids allows children to participate in games and puzzles while the child learns about disaster.   StormHero is an interactive game that teaches children how to select items for a disaster supply kit.   The Red Cross and FEMA offer a free Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book that can be printed out and colored by your young ones.

There are a number of options adults have to prepare children for hurricanes.   Don’t forget to help them this hurricane season and every hurricane season- they will need guidance and help from you to be adequately prepared, and this is an essential step to getting your family hurricane ready.

For tips on how to help children prepare for hurricanes and cope during and after hurricanes, please visit the upgraded version of our “Child Care” section of OneStorm and check out our new resources.

An important part of preparedness is understanding what we are up against.  To prepare for hurricanes, we should familiarize ourselves with the terminology used in describing tropical cyclones and become aware of storms’ potential effects.

Here are some common terms for various types of storms:

• A tropical depression is defined as an organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less.
• A tropical storm is a more advanced storm than a tropical depression, with winds of 39 to 73 mph in an organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation.
• A hurricane is an intense tropical weather system with a well defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called “typhoons” and similar storms in the Indian Ocean are called “cyclones”.

Every hurricane season, we hear hurricanes described in terms of categories.   Despite that category of a storm is based on wind speed (according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale), winds aren’t the only damaging part of a hurricane.  In fact, winds oftentimes aren’t the most devastating or deadly force that a hurricane produces.   Hurricanes have the potential to bring storm surge, tornadoes, lightning, heavy rains, and flooding.   As we’ve seen recently with Hurricane Ike, which was only a strong category 2 at landfall, even if the hurricane is classified as a relatively low category of storm, the devastation can still be high.

More people have died from floods than any other weather related cause, and it should be noted that a low category of storm does not always translate into low potential for flooding.  Tropical Storm Fay stalled over northeastern and east central Florida in August of this year, dropping up to two feet of rain in some locations.  Fay was responsible for historic levels of flooding, yet was categorized as a mere tropical storm.

For more information regarding storms, visit OneStorm’s section, “Storms Explained,” for educational resources.  You’ll find articles on hurricane flooding, storm surge, FAQs on hurricane history, and a glossary of hurricane terms.    All types of storms have the potential to be dangerous, and learning about them is another great way to be prepared.

Source:  “Terminology.”  NWS.  August 2000.

Preparing emergency food supplies doesn’t have to be difficult; to help, we’ve put together some basic guidelines on what to keep in mind while putting together your non-perishables.   Perhaps you have a  list of what should be in your hurricane food supply kit, but suppose you want to know how many days you should be stocking up for, how to keep the food fresh, or what kinds of foods are best to purchase.   These are important things to consider while compiling what will be one of the most essential components of your hurricane supply kit.   To help build your food stockpile with ease, follow the key points below:

• Make sure that your emergency food supply will last every member of your family for 72 hours- buy special foods for the elderly, babies, and those members of your family with special dietary needs. Take into account the unique tastes of your family, especially those of children. Don’t forget to purchase non-perishables for pets.
• Purchase food that is ready to eat and easy to prepare.  After a hurricane or tropical storm strike, the power will probably be out for some time.   You may not be able to cook, but you’ll still have to eat!
• Stock up on foods that are high in calories and nutrition.
• If possible, purchase food that can be eaten in its container.   Electricity is not the only modern convenience affected by a hurricane, oftentimes water supply is affected as well.  Water for washing dishes may be unsafe or unavailable.
• If you must cook, you may be able to cook outside with a charcoal grill or a camp stove.
• Don’t forget to place a can opener and utensils in your hurricane supplies kit.
• To ensure that your supply is fresh, do not store canned items in the garage, or any other place that the temperature can fluctuate.   It is best to keep your items in a fairly cool environment:  the temperature should be above freezing, but below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Rotate your food supplies:  place new items in the back of your storage location, and older items up front.  Note the item’s “use by” date with a permanent marker, and use items before they go bad, replacing them as necessary.
• If your power goes out, certain food in the refrigerator and freezer will keep longer than other food.  Therefore, don’t rely on refrigerated items to get you and your family through the storm.  For further information, access OneStorm’s free resources regarding preparing your refrigerator and freezer for a hurricane and how to know which foods are safe following a power outage.
• If you have not created one already, OneStorm can help you personalize an emergency food supplies checklist. What better way to make sure that everyone has their food needs and tastes accounted for?

With every hurricane and tropical storm that strikes, people aren’t the only creatures that are affected.   In the weeks following Hurricane Ike’s landfall, hundreds of displaced pets have lost their homes, and are awaiting adoption at various SPCA adoption centers.  Many of these pets have been unclaimed by their owners, and sadly, this kind of situation is typical: Pet and pet owners can get separated before, during, and after any major storm.   

No pet owner wants to be separated from his or her pet, so make sure that when a hurricane affects your area, you and your pet have a plan.  Here are ways to increase your chances of getting through this difficult time safely:

• A pet owner should always consider evacuation and what that means for your pet and your family.   Many shelters and hotels do not accept pets, so this may be something you’ll have to plan around.  Check if the animal-friendly shelters in your area require pre-registration, but remember, a shelter should be last on your list of places to stay during a storm.
• Just like people, pets should have an evacuation kit and a first aid kit on hand.   Take these items with you if evacuation is necessary.
• Put together a list of emergency contacts and identification for your pet.   By making sure that there is identification both on your pet and the crate or cage that your animal is traveling in, you are helping to ensure that you and your animal will be reunited should separation occur.
• Visit the “Pet and Animal Care“ section of OneStorm.  From information on locating lost pets after a hurricane to helping your pets cope with evacuation gridlock, these free articles will help you adequately prepare.

Having a pet means that you need a pet preparedness plan.   Log on to OneStorm today to create, finish, or review your hurricane plan for all the members of your family.

FEMA has a number of videos on its YouTube channel, covering topics from  hurricane preparedness to flooding cleanup.  The purpose of the channel is to help citizens prepare for disaster, provide a forum for the public to comment on disaster relief, and to provide insight into how FEMA operates.  When disaster does affect you and your family, it is helpful to know FEMA’s role in the community and what kinds of assistance may be available.

In addition, there are interesting archives on FEMA’s main page:  Thousands of easily accessible photos include those of Hurricane Ike’s impact, Hurricane Gustav’s impact, and Midwest flooding from earlier this year.     The main photo archive offers a helpful search function, which allows the user to enter keywords to view specific disaster-related photographs.

For current news regarding disaster information and assistance, access FEMA’s “News Release” page (which is offered in both English and Spanish).   Especially helpful for those communities that have currently undergone a disaster-related crisis, these press releases document actions currently undertaken by FEMA; for instance, they provide information on open disaster aid centers and disaster assistance availability for specific areas.

The FEMA YouTube channel and the multimedia on FEMA’s main site are two resources to help communities prepare and stay prepared.   Note that there is also a children’s portion of FEMA’s main site which provides multimedia specifically geared toward helping children prepare for disaster.   As you prepare for future storms,  these resources can help you and your family stay informed.

Just a short time after Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike made landfall, the tropics are eerily quiet.   Up until last week, it seemed as though new tropical cyclones just kept coming, and now we are once again in the calm- for now.  With over two long months left in this busy hurricane season, let’s take advantage of this quiet time, however short-lived it may be.

The latest hurricanes highlighted these facts: as a hurricane threatens, supplies diminish, lines for necessities grow longer, and when essentials sell out, the unprepared are hit the worst.  Americans couldn’t avoid the pictures and news reports of residents desperately trying to stock up on fuel, food, and other hurricane supplies both before and after Hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Hundreds of thousands of people still remain without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.   Without a generator, no power means no lights, no basic cooking, no air conditioning, no everyday life as we know it.   Take a moment to imagine what even a few days are like without electricity.  Makes you a lot more thankful for that comfort, doesn’t it?

However, if we finish preparing now, when we encounter these uncomfortable times we will have the ammunition to make them less uncomfortable.   By taking basic steps to prepare for storms, you may not have to wait for hours to purchase drinking water, or frantically evacuate without important documents or medicines that you could have placed in an evacuation kit beforehand.  Hurricanes may be part of life, but by not preparing, we can make the situation worse than it already is.

Please log on to OneStorm today to create, update, review or finish your hurricane plan.  So far it has been one busy season, and it could very well stay that way- make a pledge to finish your hurricane plan before the next named storm.

Hurricane Gustav should make its approach into the Gulf this weekend, so shortly after Fay departed.   Perhaps you are thinking what we are:  not again!

All citizens along the Gulf coastline should be concerned-  the latest advisory shows that many areas of the U.S Gulf Coast could be affected.  And, the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico could spell rapid intensification.   The only plus is that we still have some time to prepare.

As you are finishing your hurricane plans and collecting the resources you need, we are prepared to help you out as the storm approaches.   Due to the great response we received from our last storm resources blog, Tropical Storm Fay Resources, we’ve started another:  Hurricane Gustav Resources.

As Gustav closes in and reaches the U.S. coast, we will be posting everything from road closures to boil water notices, from each affected county. Much of this important information can be spread throughout the web, and difficult to find, which is why we’ve decided to build a blog for every major tropical cyclone that threatens the U.S.  As soon as we create each blog, we will post the announcement on the main OneStorm home page under “Hurricane Headlines,” and, of course, we’ll inform you of the new site here on the Hurricane Preparedness Blog, too.

Although we won’t officially start posting information until Gustav starts into the Gulf, we already have some valuable tools on the site for you to use.   Visit Hurricane Gustav Resources, then check the upper right corner of your screen.   Notice the tab, “Track the Storm.”  This will allow you to track Gustav as it travels.   Next, look under “Send Me Your Questions.”  We would love to hear from you before the storm, during the storm, and after the storm.   We’ll be available at all these times to answer any specific preparedness or Gustav-related questions we can help you with.