PHILADELPHIA - As the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, FEMA Region III continues to proactively work with its state, local, and federal partners to increase preparedness, coordinate response and recovery capabilities, and empower individuals to take an active role in preparing themselves, their families, and their communities.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1, 2016 and lasts until November 30; the greatest potential for storm activity is the months of August and September. A great time to begin planning for hurricane season is Hurricane Preparedness Week, designated May 15 – May 21, 2016.
Everyone should take time to ensure that their family, household, and workplace is properly prepared for a potential hurricane or tropical storm. “It only takes one storm to severely impact a community and disrupt our way of life,” stated FEMA Region III Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney. “We encourage everyone to prepare and plan for hurricanes and to be informed of what their risk may be.” It takes all of us, as individuals, families, communities, organizations, and as members of the whole community, to prepare for hurricanes and the potential hazards associated with them.
Residents should interact with their local emergency officials and stay informed of their risk and the potential dangers of a hurricane or tropical storm. By engaging with your local officials, citizens gain valuable insight, lend input, and develop relationships for planning and communications before a storm.
FEMA recommends that everyone have enough supplies to last for several days. Emergency supply kits should include essential items like bottled water, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, batteries, medicines, toiletries, non-perishable food items, manual can opener, and first aid supplies.
When planning, think about the potential needs of everyone in the household during an emergency. If your household includes pets, a person with a disability, an infant, or a senior citizen, be sure to take the necessary steps to assist and make them comfortable during an emergency, in addition to having any necessary documents or medications on hand.
For more preparedness information, visit fema.gov, ready.gov, and nhc.noaa.gov.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.
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