Hurricane Preparedness Week 2020

May 3rd - 9th        Credit NWS

#15,229

At the risk of piling on in the midst of a pandemic, tomorrow (Sunday, May 3rd) is the first day in this year's National Weather Service Hurricane Preparedness Week.  With  more than  60  million Americans living along our highly vulnerable Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions, the chances for another `Katrina'-style disaster increase with each passing year.

While the shaded areas in the map above are the most vulnerable to hurricanes, we've seen instances where severe weather, and massive flooding, have occurred hundreds of miles deeper into the nation. And of course, all of the Caribbean, and fair amount of Latin America, are in the danger zone as well. 

But this year - with a pandemic virus on the loose, and most of the nation still in some phase of lockdown mode - preparing for, and responding to, another major natural disaster (like a hurricane, earthquake, wildfire, or flood) becomes far more difficult.

Over the past 30 days we've seen a variety of early season forecast models released by forecasters at Colorado State University, Pennsylvania State University ESSC, the Weather Channel, and the experts at University College London Tropical Storm Risk center.

While these early season forecasts may be adjusted downward later this summer, nearly every one published is calling for an above average Atlantic Hurricane season.  None of this tells us how many storms will make landfall - or where - but is does suggest the next 6 months could be very active.

And even if you don't live in Hurricane country, you probably live in Tornado, Flood, Wildfire, or Earthquake country. There is literally nowhere in the nation where a natural disaster can't touch you.

This year it will probably more important than ever for Americans (along with everyone else) to prepare in advance for a natural disaster, since the ability of FEMA, local officials, first responders, and relief and repair crews to respond during this pandemic may be limited in the opening hours and days of a disaster.

Some things to consider:

• A disaster induced power outage that might last a few days in a normal year, could take weeks to repair 
• Grocery store shelves, which are already under stress, will be quickly emptied and could take much longer to resupply 
• Going to a community shelter may be a far less attractive option for many people during a pandemic
• The availability of many hotels, motels, and other lodging - typically used during evacuations - may be limited 
• Hospitals - particularly next fall - could be overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases 

Over the next week I'll be featuring some of NOAA's hurricane preparedness advice, along with some of my own.  Although it is only early May, I already have an evacuation plan, and my hurricane supplies, in place.

With many grocery stores limiting purchases, it would be prudent to start buying a few extra cans of easy-to-prepare foods each week to tuck away for a disaster.  And with delivery times from Amazon and other suppliers running days or even weeks out, if you want to buy a first aid kit, flashlights, or other preparedness gear, now is not too soon to act.

While where you live, and your local threat environment, may dictate some changes, my general goals for personal and family preparedness include:

• A battery operated NWS Emergency Radio to find out what was going on, and to get vital instructions from emergency officials
• A decent first-aid kit, so that you can treat injuries
• Enough non-perishable food and water on hand to feed and hydrate your family (including pets) for the duration
• A way to provide light when the grid is down.
• A way to cook safely without electricity
• A way to purify or filter water
• A way to stay cool (fans) or warm when the power is out.
• A small supply of cash to use in case credit/debit machines are not working
• An emergency plan, including meeting places, emergency out-of-state contact numbers, a disaster buddy, and in case you must evacuate, a bug-out bag
• Spare supply of essential prescription medicines that you or your family may need
• A way to entertain yourself, or your kids, during a prolonged blackout

Riding out a disaster often boils down to unscheduled camping - for days, or sometimes weeks - in your home, at a friends house, in a community shelter, or possibly even in your backyard.

While 6+ weeks of pandemic lockdown has been rough, imagine doing it in the heat of summer without electricity, running water, Netflix, or Internet access.   

The better prepared you are, the less traumatic the experience is likely to be for you, and your family. The physical and psychological impacts stemming from a disaster are quite real (see Post-Disaster Sequelae), and will only exacerbate the stress we have all been under for the past few months.

So, in addition to the standard food, water, Rx meds, and First Aid kit, I've expanded my disaster kit to include items that will hopefully make my next post-hurricane experience a little more comfortable.

One inexpensive luxury item I included was an MP3 player ($30) that I've preloaded with hundreds of hours of public domain audiobooks. Another, which I purchased last year, was an inexpensive Ukulele (which I play badly, and often).  

As I wrote last  year in Preparedness: Some Emergency Power Solutions, it is a relatively easy task to set up a simple solar charging system.

No, you won’t keep the A/C or refrigerator running on a budget system, but you can keep your LED lantern batteries, cell phone, tablet,  mini-fan, MP3 player or notebook computer running. 

The bottom line is - no matter what the emergency - the advantage will always go to those who are the best prepared.