It doesn’t seem that 4 months have gone by since the official end of 2007 Hurricane Season. Since then we have had NUMEROUS tornados that have wrecked havoc in many communities in the US including the unheard of serious tornado that struck Atlanta GA..
Well the news out of the office of the famed hurricane expert Dr William Gray and his staff doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy. Instead it gives me a blustering wind and rain gust down my spine as I read the announcement. The 2008 hurricane predictions of 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes is not the kind of news anyone wants to hear. It certainly is not a recommended bedtime story!
For the last two years those of us who live along the Atlantic Ocean have been given a treat of no major hurricanes. I have enjoyed the respite but it also scares me. Why the scared comment? Simple, the more people enjoy the comforts of a milder hurricane season, the more chance that they will not be hurricane prepared this season.
I hope and pray we will have a mild hurricane season. From the hurricane forecasts updated and released yesterday, it is worrisome when considering how many residents and visitors along the Gulf of Mexico coast and Atlantic coast will take the need for hurricane preparedness seriously.
This is the time to get those emergency preparedness kits out and see what needs to be discarded. These items can most often be used in the ordinary basis of everyday living so there is no money lost. It is vital to have the discipline to replaced your disaster kits with fresher emergency supplies.
Things change over a year and it is necessary to review your personal emergency preparedness checklist as well as the checklists of each member of the household. Remember that theses checklists need to address not only your home needs but also your work / school needs as well as your car and pet emergency preparedness checklists.
I recognize that money is tight for all of us. Prices of things such as food have gone up considerably since last year. It is estimated that it will cost some 15% more to establish your kits by the end of this year than it did last year. Unfortunately the increased costs to establish disaster kits will not stop anytime soon. The more you get a head start on the items you will need, the better likelihood you will be able to find your emergency preparedness necessities at reasonable prices and in quality and quantity you want.
So the best way to make your emergency preparedness money go as far as possible is to make a list of EVERYTHING you will need this year and prioritize what is the most important to buy first. Once all of your emergency preparedness necessities are listed, then every week start to find what things are on sale and what can be obtained at thrift stores and yard sales.
This is the time of year that there will be many a yard sale in neighborhoods in very community large and small. What others don’t want, and are willing to sell, can be perfect for YOUR disaster kits. Example is the end of the school year backpacks that the kids are tired of. They are often sold for little money and are in good enough shape for what your needs are. They make excellent personal disaster get & go kits for the kids as well as the one for each of the cars in the household! Low cost emergency survival kits can be made from your neighbor’s yard sale, school rummage sale and a willing attitude coupled with some creativity and elbow grease of effort on you and your family’s part.
Get your disaster preparedness information updated as well. Review the hurricane evacuation routes in your area. Much can change in a year with road construction etc. Also review and reconfirm your alternative housing if you your area calls for an emergency evacuate at a moments notice. Don’t be caught without a place to stay in the midst of a horrific storm.
COMMENTS WELCOMED!
Please share your thoughts, emergency preparedness tips 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
Upgrades Hurricane Prediction
Prediction: 15 Named Storms
8 Hurricanes
4 Major Hurricanes
Famed hurricane forecaster Dr. William Gray has released his updated Atlantic Hurricane Season and has upgraded the predictions released in December.
Phil Klotzbach, who has been the lead author on hurricane forecasts with Dr. Gray in recent years, said Wednesday that the 2008 season will be "very active" with 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes of category 3 or higher.
In December, Gray's group based at Colorado State University, forecast an above-normal season with 13 named storms, seven hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. A hurricane is considered major when it reaches category 3 status or when winds reach 111 mph.
Klotzbach and Gray updated their forecast from the Bahamas Weather Conference on Grand Bahama Island.
Dr. Gray said there are signs of a very active season due to La Nina cool-water conditions in the Pacific and higher sea surface temperatures in the eastern Atlantic.
An average season produces about 10 tropical storms and six hurricanes. The last season in 2007 saw 14 tropical storms, of which six strengthened into hurricanes.
A record 28 storms formed in 2005.
http://cbs4.com/hurricanes/hurricane.season.dr.2.695621.html
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