Courtesy NASA/Hurricane Sandy 2012
The Atlantic hurricane season is here and the time to prepare is now. Residents are encouraged to review their emergency preparedness plans for themselves, their families and businesses.
According to forecasters with the National Weather Service, there is a 60% chance for an above normal Atlantic hurricane season that runs from through Nov. 30.
Two key factors that contribute to weather safety during hurricanes are preparing in advance for the risks and acting on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials.
When an emergency strikes, time is of the essence and preparedness is vital to survival, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said in a release. With so much of our attention directed to the COVID-19 pandemic, we must not become complacent and fail to prepare. It is more important than ever to have a place to go and stay should it be necessary to evacuate.
Levinson advised residents to take this opportunity to check and replenish disaster supply kits, create and/or review family emergency plans including preparations for pets, review evacuation routes, and locate contact information for municipal emergency management offices. All of this information and more is available on the county's emergency information and resource website at www.ReadyAtlantic.org.
In the event of an emergency, the Atlantic County Office of Emergency Preparedness provides an Emergency Notification System that will automatically send alerts to every direct-dial landline phone in the county. Residents or second homeowners who would like to receive alerts to their cell phones and/or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phones must register to add those numbers to the current database and can do so at: https://readyatlantic.org/stay/com_notification.asp
Residents and property owners should also inspect their homes to identify any structural issues that could be affected by a hurricane or severe weather event, such as loose shingles or damaged roofs as well as to check insurance coverage to protect their properties from costly flood damage.
Preparedness can mean the difference between life and death, and it begins with each one of us, Levinson said.
