Goodbye to Hurricane Preparedness? Not so fast!

Wishing Hurricane Season 2007 Was Over With?

Every day we can check off the calendar seems like we move a mile closer to being done with 2007 hurricane season. In many ways that is true but still there is still a need to be highly aware of emergency preparedness. Many homes are now focusing on their Halloween customs and Fat Tuesday parties. I agree, that there are several holidays in the not too far off future but I also need to remind people that in 1999 a major hurricane named Hurricane Lenny came ashore with a mighty blow at the end of October.

I hope and pray that our emergency preparedness kit and all the other hurricane preparedness actions and items will not be necessary this year. That would be the best possible gift nature could give us.

Yet I also know that we as individuals and a s a society really need to improve our own personal emergency preparedness plans, and to get our emergency preparedness necessities stocked or what ever may occur. The best way to deal with a hectic hurricane season is to prepare for a hurricane during a mild hurricane season.

COMMENTS WELCOMED!

Please share your thoughts and stories here on this blog.

All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.

Be Safe

Terrie

www.trainforahurricane.com

News Release

Written by Roddy Heyliger, Communications Consultant for the Government Information Service (GIS), Ennia Bldg., Longwall Rd., Philipsburg, St. Maarten D.W.I. Tel. 00-599-543-1162, 542-4119, Fax: 543-1169; Email: gis at sintmaarten.net;

For Immediate Release: Sunday, October 07, 2007/N196

Roddy Heyliger

MedPRO - Communications Consultant

Governor Richards says hurricane season mild, but not yet over

http://stormcarib.com/reports/current/stmartin.shtml?id=1191850756.14021

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (GIS) – Governor Franklyn Richards who is also Chairman of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), says the 2007 hurricane season has been mild so far, but not yet over and persons should remain in a state of preparedness despite this.

Forecasters from the Colorado State University Phil Klotzbach and William Gray recently released their updated hurricane forecast for October and November and in their opinion they expect it to be very active.

Klotzbach and Gray have forecasted four named storms for the next two months, two of those predicted to reach hurricane strength and one of those is expected to become a major hurricane with wind speeds of over 111 miles per hour.

St. Maarten has in the past experienced late bloom hurricanes such as Tropical Storm Jose around October 21, 1999 and Hurricane Lenny better known as “left-handed Lenny” that arrived from an unexpected direction, the West, around November 18, 1999. Tropical Storm Klaus in 1984 passed by November 6, 1984.

“The season has already seen several catastrophic hurricanes namely Dean and Felix. It is in our interests to maintain a certain state of preparedness as we continue to go through the season. Continue to monitor weather reports in order to keep informed of possible storm activity which would allow you and your family to take the appropriate measures,” Governor Richards told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Sunday.

As the Office of Disaster Management & Preparedness theme says, “How have you prepared yourself for the hurricane season?”

The remainder of names for the 2007 Hurricane Season is: Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

Andrea formed in May as a subtropical storm followed by Barry in June, Chantal in July, Dean, Erin in August and Felix, Gabriella, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa in September.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

# # #

Roddy Heyliger

St. Maarten Government Information Service (GIS)