2011 Hurricane Season Begins June 1
Right on schedule, hurricane season begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30th. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted an above-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year. Last week, the Office of the President stressed the need for individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and families to prepare emergency plans, create emergency supply kits, and learn evacuation routes (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/20/presidential-proclamation-national-hurricane-preparedness-week).
Several organizations have resources to assist with these preparations. Some include widgets which can be used on library or other organizational websites to quickly link to valuable information.
- The National Weather Service: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/prepared_week.shtml .
- Ready America, “Hurricanes”: http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html .
- The American Public Health Asssociation,”How to get ready for hurricanes”: http://www.getreadyforflu.org/facts/Hurricanes.pdf .
- The National Library of Medicine’s Disaster Information Managment Resource Center “Hurricanes” Page: http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/hurricane.html .
- Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA): http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm .
- Centers for Disease Control CDC): http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/.
Take the necessary steps to prepare yourself, your home, your family, and your workplace for a potential hurricane BEFORE it happens!
