National Preparedness Month: Be ready for a busy hurricane season

This year has been far from normal, but regardless of a global pandemic hurricane season still comes around every year. The 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane season is already off to a historically eventful start and meteorologists are expecting the tropics to remain active.

As of the August forecast, Meteorologists at NOAA and Colorado State University are now predicting 19-25 named storms in the Atlantic Basin for the year. If this holds true, all the alphabetical tropical storm and hurricane names will be used in 2020. This means the Greek alphabet will have to be will be tapped into like it was back in 2005.  

The peak of the Atlantic Basin hurricane season is in mid-September. As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has designated this month as National Preparedness Month (NPM).

The NPM 2020 theme is “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” FEMA’s website makes it easy to prepare and suggests different preparedness activities to focus on for each week of September. 

September 1-5: Make a plan

• Know your natural disaster risk
• Have an out-of-town contact
• Identify a family meeting place if everyone gets separated
• Ask a neighbor to check on your pets if a disaster strikes when you are not home
• Know your area’s evacuation routes and local disaster shelter locations

September 6-12: Build a kit

• Assemble a disaster prep kit, including items specifically selected for each member of your family (children, seniors, special needs, pets)
• Develop a “necessities” list that includes items you and your family cannot live without
• Have at least a two-week supply of bottled water, non-perishable food and prescription medications
• Include items like masks, hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap and wipes that are now especially necessary due to COVID-19
• Have important supplies on hand — first aid kit, flashlights, extra batteries, NOAA weather radio, blanket, cash (single dollar bills) and cell phone charger (at a minimum)
• Keep a disaster kit at home, at work and in your vehicle

September 13-19: Prepare for disasters

• Having a standby generator means all the power in your home can be restored automatically without gas, even when you’re not there. If you have back-up power generation, your home can be your family’s central meeting place. If you don’t have backup power, make sure your family agrees on a safe place to meet in the event that you are separated.
• Store important documents in a metal strongbox to protect them from exposure. Keep them on a flash drive as well, just in case.
• Survey property areas for things that might need repair. Check loose or hanging shingles, signs or shutters, walkways, storage spaces and even overgrown vegetation and dead trees. Check your roof for leaks. Clean out gutters and chimneys.
• Know if you live in a flood zone. Homeowner’s insurance does not cover flooding and a new flood insurance policy has a 30-day wait period until it activates. Remember, even if you do not live in a designated flood zone: it can still flood!

September 20-26: Teach youth about preparedness

• Make sure you and your children understand the weather risks in your area
• Encourage teachers to discuss disaster preparedness at school 
• Make learning about disasters fun through books, games and other online resources 

In addition to educating yourself about hurricane preparedness, you can take the extra step to protect your residence with a Cummins home generator. Standby power can keep your life essentials operating in the event of a major outage and provide you with peace of mind. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Inquire about a Cummins home generator today and find a certified Cummins dealer near you. 

Meteorologist Cheryl Nelson
Cummins Weather & Preparedness Advisor 
www.PrepareWithCher.com
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