Every Friday, we do a “What We’re Watching” blog as we look ahead to the weekend. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.
Peak hurricane season is here
Since hurricane season started back on June 1, no major storms have affected the U.S. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the season will follow suit, especially with the busiest months of severe tropical weather still ahead. We’re closely monitoring several tropical waves in the Atlantic that may develop into stronger, more organized storms, and tropical storm Fernanda that’s currently churning in the Pacific.
In the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminitration’s hurricane season update, released August 4, they discussed the peak of this year’s hurricane season:
The atmosphere and Atlantic Ocean are primed for high hurricane activity during August through October,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center. “Storms through October will form more frequently and become more intense than we’ve seen so far this season.
August through October are peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season, and FEMA urges people not to be lured into a false sense of security by the lack of hurricanes so far this year.
A major hurricane making landfall in the U.S. is not a matter of if, but when, and we all need to do our part to be prepared. If you live in an area susceptible to the effects of hurricanes or tropical storms (whether on the coast or inland) we encourage you to visit Ready.gov/hurricanes (or m.fema.gov on your smartphone) today to get information on getting prepared. And for the latest tropical forecast information, visit Hurricanes.gov (or hurricanes.gov/mobile on your smartphone) for updates from the National Hurricane Center.
Start of the school year in tornado-damaged areas
We’ve had several blog posts this week about the schools in Joplin, Mo. opening on time, despite the devastating and deadly tornado that hit the town May 22. And in Alabama, we’re working closely with state and local officials to provide temporary classrooms with safe rooms, as many of their schools opened last week.
The on-time start of the school year is the result of the entire team working together to bring back a sense of normalcy since the tornadoes. In case you missed it, here’s a look back at our posts from this week, along with a video:
From August 15 - “Joplin School Year is Starting”
- August 15 - "I am Joplin" - Celebrating Recovery, Return to Normalcy
- August 17 - Joplin Students Return to School
From the American Red Cross Blog…
Back in May, the American Red Cross posted on our blog about their Safe and Well site. It’s a website where disaster survivors can post their status after a disaster in case friends and family can’t get in touch with them; and where friends and family outside the disaster area can then search for messages from their loved ones by using a pre-disaster phone number or complete address.
Earlier this week, on the Red Cross blog, they posted about their Safe and Well site, along with a short video. Check it out to learn more, and talk with your family members about using the Safe and Well site after a disaster strikes.
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