On June 1st, the 2011 hurricane season officially began and marked a time in the year that coastal residences need to be prepared. To date, there have been five named storms which have formed in the Atlantic Basin with none of those storms reaching hurricane status. August through October marks the most active period of the hurricane season.
On August 4, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated the season’s storm prediction. NOAA increased the expected number of named storms from 12 to 18 to 14 to 19 storms in total. However, of those named storms, they now predict that 7 – 10 will reach hurricane status. In order to keep up with the storms that form in the Atlantic, www.nhc.noaa.gov is a useful site.
DON’T FORGET TO BE PREPARED
District 32 is composed of Aransas, Calhoun, San Patricio and Nueces counties which are included among the 14 Tier One counties along the Texas coast. This means that these counties are most likely to be affected if a hurricane makes landfall on the Texas coast. It is extremely important that our area, as well as all of Texas, prepare for hurricanes by staying informed, creating a disaster plan, making sure their insurance policies are up-to-date and follow all necessary steps to keep families safe.
When hurricanes make landfall or get close to land, they can affect the lives of thousands of Texans along the coast and across the State of Texas. There are various tips on being prepared in case of a hurricane. Some of the tips include the preparation of a family disaster plan. A family disaster plan includes planning for hazards that could affect your family as well as home. Vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind should be reviewed. You should locate safe rooms or places in your house to store items if a hurricane hazard develops. It is important that families determine evacuation and escape routes from your home and places to meet in case of an emergency. Also, have an out-of-state friend as a family contact so that all family members have a place of contact. Don’t forget to plan for taking care of your pets in case of evacuation.
In addition, families need to create a disaster supply kit. A disaster supply kit includes gathering blankets, pillows, seasonal clothing and special items for infants and the elderly. Please have flashlights, batteries, telephones, radios and sufficient tools in case of an emergency. It is important to have a good first aid kit with medicines and prescription drugs ready and organized.
Living along the coastline also means preparing for hurricanes by retrofitting your house. It is important to strengthen the outside of your home so wind and objects do not tear openings in your roof or walls. Some people may want to find out about flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance is a pre-disaster flood program designed to reduce flood disasters. The National Flood Insurance program can be called at 1-888-CALL-FLOOD, Extension 445.
In addition to getting your family, pets and homes safe and prepared, there are various state websites for hurricane preparedness and evacuation, including telephone numbers. Some important contacts include Statewide Road Conditions which can be called at 1-800-452-9292 and going to www.texasonline.com – Texas Online – The Official Portal of Texas.
You can also go to my campaign website at www.electtoddhunter.com which will provide you links, websites to various sources for hurricane preparedness, planning for an evacuation, tips on hurricane preparedness as well as state and federal government resources. Also, if you are elderly or disabled and need hurricane evacuation assistance, you can call 2-1-1. This service will assist you in hurricane evacuation.
Overall, being prepared for a hurricane and living in a coastal region is very important. Please again feel free to check out the campaign website electtoddhunter.com as well as the information that we’ve provided in this article. Hopefully, this will be a quiet season and a safe one.
As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
