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April 11, 2001 — With ever-increasing population growth in coastal areas, the U.S. has become more vulnerable to hurricanes. In order to help focus national attention on hurricane threats, NOAA's National Weather Service proposed designating the third week in May (May 21-25, 2001) as Hurricane Awareness Week and unveiled a prototype of a new Web site that offers hurricane education and safety information. (Click NOAA image for larger view of damage done by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992.)

Speaking at the National Hurricane Conference in Washington, DC, this week, National Weather Service Director, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly, encouraged participants to increase their information and education outreach activities. "I invite our hurricane partners on the state and regional level to join us in creating a nationwide coordinated outreach effort, aimed at offering the public critical information related to hurricane awareness and safety," said Kelly.

"Our goal is to build on state and regional efforts to create an effective national outreach campaign. A Hurricane Awareness Week campaign coupled with 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week access to updated hurricane and safety information through our new Web site increases the public's access to valuable knowledge they can use to prepare for and minimize risks in the event of a hurricane," Kelly said.

The new Web site prototype highlights five different topics central to saving lives and property, one for each day of Hurricane Awareness Week: Day 1: Coastal and Marine Hazards (Storm Surge & Ships); Day 2: Wind Hazards (Tornadoes and High Winds); Day 3: Inland Flooding; Day 4: The Forecast Process (Uncertainty); Day 5: Disaster Prevention (What You Can Do).

Hurricane Awareness Week is a cooperative effort between NOAA's National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and participating states and regional hurricane authorities. These cooperative efforts resulted in shared funding and resources for the Hurricane Awareness Week education campaign and Web site.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Hurricane Awareness Week

NOAA's National Hurricane Center

Hurricanes: Nature's Greatest Storms

NOAA's Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services
Resource for information on hurricane awareness, natural hazard statistics, and printable publications.

NOAA's Education Web Site
Resource for teachers and students to use in the classroom or background reference material for the classroom.

NOAA Weather Radio

Media Contacts:
Frank Lepore, NOAA's National Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404 or Susan Weaver, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622