Avian Flu Diary: #NatlPrep: If You Needed A Reason . . .

Note: This is final day of National Preparedness Month . Follow this year’s campaign on Twitter by searching for the #NatlPrep hash tag.
This month, as part of NPM15, I’ll be rerunning some edited and updated older preparedness essays, along with some new ones.

# 10,583

Today is National PrepareAthon! Day, where it is hoped the the combined preparedness messaging delivered during National Preparedness Month will inspire you to take proactive steps to become better prepared for any emergency.

But if that isn’t enough inspiration, we’ve also got the first hurricane in the Western Atlantic for the 2015 tropical season, and it poses a potential late-weekend threat to the Atlantic coast of the United States.

The National Hurricane Center is quick to point out that there is a good deal of uncertainty in the track of this storm right now. In their 11am Discussion they stress:

KEY MESSAGES:
1. Confidence in the details of the track forecast late in the period remains low, since the environmental steering currents are complex and the model guidance is inconsistent. A wide range of outcomes is possible, from a direct impact of a major hurricane along the U.S. east coast to a track of Joaquin out to sea away from the coast. It is therefore way too soon to talk about specific wind, rain, or surge impacts from Joaquin in the U.S.

2. Should the threat to the U.S. increase, any further adjustments of the forecast to the west would likely be accompanied by an increase in the forecast forward speed, with impacts along the coast occurring sooner than currently forecast. A hurricane watch could be required for portions of the U.S. coast as early as Thursday evening.

3. Many areas of the eastern U.S. are currently experiencing heavy rains and gusty winds associated with a frontal system. This inclement weather is expected to continue over the next few days, which could complicate preparations for Joaquin should it head toward the coast.

Intensification of this storm is expected, particularly about 72 hours out.

While it is far too soon to speculate what effects – if any – this system will have on the continental United States, it is never too soon to prepare for hurricane season. So, if you haven’t already downloaded the updated Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide, now would be an excellent time to do so.

When it comes to getting the latest information on hurricanes, your first stop should always be the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. These are the real experts, and the only ones you should rely on to track and forecast the storm.

And if you are on Twitter, you should also follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific and @ReadyGov.

Even if you aren’t in the path of this storm, now is an opportune time to become better prepared as an individual, family, business owner, or community to deal with all types of disasters I would invite you to visit the following preparedness sites.