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Preparation Critical Element In Hurricane Survival

By  //  June 2, 2012

Hurricane Season Arrives

Knowing how to properly board up windows can save costly property repairs during a hurricane. (Shutterstock image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – History teaches that hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads that can reduce the impact of hurricane disasters.

Families, individuals, and businesses who know their vulnerability and what actions to take can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster by taking action to prepare.

In support of this call to prepare, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration have partnered again to promote 2012 National Hurricane Preparedness Week and are calling upon Americans in areas of the country vulnerable to hurricanes and severe weather to “Be a Force of Nature.”

Preparedness

Brevard County Emergency Management is proud to join and promote the 2012 National Hurricane Preparedness Week and to “Be a Force of Nature” to help spread the word and make its employees and members of the community better prepared.

The Brevard County Emergency Management team is committed to being a leader for weather-readiness by knowing the risk, taking action and being an example. Hurricane season is June 1 to Nov. 30.

Kimberly Prosser is Brevard County's Emergency Management Director. (Image by Ed Pierce)

“With two named storms already occurring this year, before Hurricane Season even starts, it’s a good reminder to prepare yourselves, your family and your pets, and to stay informed,” said Kimberly Prosser, director of Brevard County Emergency Management.

Recent studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they are safe. This is an important trend because people are most likely to take preparedness steps if they observe the preparations taken by others.

Social Media

“Brevard County Emergency Management has been active in social media since 2009, with a presence on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/BrevardEOC) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BrevardEOC),” Prosser said.

Social media provides the perfect platform to model preparedness actions for others.

For this reason, Brevard County residents are asked to pledge and take the following steps:

•  Know your risk: The first step to Be a Force of Nature is to understand how hurricanes can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly and sign up for local alerts from emergency management officials and obtain a NOAA Weather Radio.

• Take action: Pledge to develop an emergency plan and practice how and where you will evacuate if instructed by your emergency management officials. Post your plan in your home where visitors can see it. Learn how to strengthen your home and business against hurricanes. Download FEMA’s mobile app so you can access important safety tips on what to do before, during and after a hurricane. Understand the National Hurricane Center warning and alerts.

• Be an Example: Once you have taken action and pledged, share your story with your family and friends. Create a YouTube video, post your story on Facebook, comment on a blog, or send a tweet. Post the Be a Force of Nature widget on your social media profiles.

More information and ideas about how you can “Be a Force of Nature” can be found at www.embrevard.com or www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

Information on the different types of severe weather such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and floods is available at www.weather.gov and www.ready.gov/hurricanes  or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov.

You can also go to http://www.floridadisaster.org/family/ and create your own family disaster plan, print it out and save it.