The PRE Hurricane Kit!
Here are just a few items PRE is sure to include in its hurricane kit.  Some other suggestions can be found here.

Anatomy of a Hurricane

Preparing for major storms makes all the difference.  Some times it could mean the difference between life and death. Tropical weather can be prepared for.  And plans can be laid out well ahead of any advisories.  But to understand a hurricane, you must know the basics first.  John Cole, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Newport explains how hurricanes form…   Hurricanes develop from easterly waves in general.  About 100 come off the African Coast, and 10% develop into tropical cyclones.  And that would be depressions, tropical storms, hurricanes, and so basically a hurricane is a low pressure area in the atmosphere that rotates counter-clock wise.    Around the African coast is where we look at for tropical activity.  Warm water temperatures especially around this time of the year make conditions ripe for tropical weather that could very well turn into a hurricane.   If the upper level conditions are right, that is if you have very minimal sheering winds in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere, you can get updrafts within those thunderstorms and you can get a circulation that develops because of a force known as the Coriolis force.   So you get a low-pressure system developing, first its weak.  It’s a tropical depression with winds up to 39 mph.  And then as it intensifies, it gets a more distinct rotary circulation, and the winds increase to 39 to 73 mph.  And that’s when the National Hurricane Center in Miami names the systems.  And then when it develops winds of 74 mph or greater, then it’s a hurricane it’s categorized by the Saffir-Simpson scale.   The Saffir-Simpson scale is a 1-5 rating used to measure the intensity of a hurricane. It’s used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast- from a hurricane landfall.  A category 1 or 2 hurricane is generally thought of as a fairly weak hurricane.  But Cole says that low number could be misleading.   We had an impact from a category 2 hurricane, Isabelle, up here in North Carolina, that had been a category 5 hurricane, and this particular hurricane was very large.  So the impact on the water area was significant, with significant surge, and it still had 100 mph sustained winds, so a category 2 hurricane can be very significant.   No matter the size of a hurricane, Cole says it’s always good to be prepared.    You need to prepare early in the season. And I would say one of the main things is to have a disaster supplies kit already assembled prior to the hurricane season.  But it’s not too late to do that now.  But have enough supplies.  Enough water for 3-5 days, enough food supplies, non-perishable foods for that same length of time, plenty of medicine if you require that, have your car gassed up, you need to acquire the cash well in advance because the ATM machines are going to go down, you know, with the loss of electricity.  Have a plan of action.  Know where your family is going to go, know your evacuation routes, tell other family members or friends where you are going, so they can keep track of you as well.   Cole says that everyone should have a designated hurricane kit.  In the kit, you’ll want snacks, games for when the lights go out, flashlights, bug spray, fresh batteries, and a radio—so you can keep track as Public Radio East provides continuous storm coverage.   The wind that comes with hurricanes and tropical storms can cause a significant amount of damage.  Since eastern North Carolina is surrounded by large bodies of water, our geography makes us vulnerable to storm surge.  Storm surge occurs when water is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm.  John Cole considers storm surge to be the main threat to coastal areas.   We have a unique situation here in North Carolina, where we do have to worry about surge along the sounds, as well, and water level rises along the sounds.  With Hurricane Isabelle, level rises in Adams and Clubfoot Creek, Down East Carteret County, Craven County, went to 10 to 11 feet, and we had a 6 to 8 foot storm surge on the outer banks from a category 2 hurricane making landfall in Down East Carteret County.  So, storm surge is one of the biggest factors I think still has the potential of taking more lives than any other treat of a hurricane.    Even though storm surge is potentially the most dangerous to those along the coast, the biggest threat to the majority of the region is the heavy rains that come with hurricanes.     The last 30 years, more lives have been lost from inland freshwater flooding, than from any other threat from hurricanes.  We lost over 50 lives in North Carolina from Hurricane Floyd in 1999, with the river flooding and fresh water flooding effects.    So far this year, eastern North Carolina hasn’t seen much tropical weather.  Two forecasters at Colorado State University lowered their storm predictions numbers for the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane season.  Cole says there’s still time left in the season, and more storms could occur.   This year we’re expecting a much above normal year.  The predictions from NOAA are now 13 to 16 named storms, seven to nine hurricanes, and of those hurricanes, we expect three to five hurricanes to become major hurricanes with winds over 110 mph.  Everyone’s expecting a very active year, of course we’re already up to storm number five now.   Knowing how a hurricane works, what to look out for, and how to prepare for a hurricane can ensure the safety of you and your family during the severe weather event.  For updates and information on closings and delays, severe weather updates, and weather advisories, stay tuned to Public Radio East and visit our website www.publicradioeast.org Jared Brumbaugh

Providing Emergency Shelter For Our Pets

With about 73 million pet dogs and approximately 90 million claimed cats in the United States, it’s no wonder that legislation was implemented to provide pets with shelter in emergency evacuations.   In October of 2006, the Stafford Act was passed giving FEMA responsibility for coordinating government wide relief efforts.  The bill was in response to the situation along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina when many pets were seperated from their owners, or in some cases, the owners didn’t evacuate because of their pets.  Since then, polices have been put into place requiring facilitys to hold both pets and their owners.  Alan Smith, Carteret County Emergency Services Director, says the passing of the Stafford Act required the county to establish a pet friendly shelter.  With the support of other organizations, the county is working to provide space that is clean, safe, and properly run. “We have a partnership with a couple of different organizations, PAWS being one, as well as  the Carteret County Humane Society.  Our primary shelter, which is located at Newport Middle School, this year will also have a pet wing that will allow those evacuees who have domesticated animals to re-register and provide information to us so we can accept their pets during an evacuation process.”  Most counties will utilize volunteers to feed and care for animals.  But Norman Bryson, Assistant manager of Onslow County Emergency Services, says in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster, the county will provide shelter for people and their pets, but will not use volunteer staff to help.   “It allows for people who have dogs, cats, birds…anything of that nature to come in.  They have to be prepared.  They have to bring their own food, and leashes, and be prepared to walk the animal.  Its not a situation where they can come in, drop off their animal, ads expect someone else to take care of it. The humans have to be housed at the same location as their animals are.” ording to Bryson, Frank Moritz is a Stormwatcher for Public Radio East.  He normally evacuates to a hotel in severe weather, but now says he may take advantage of a local shelter in his area.  “I might consider changing my plan and going to a shelter instead of a hotel.  The last time I went to a hotel, the lighting went off three times and where as at my mobile home, it never went off.  So I would certainly consider some other course of action for myself and my dog. Paul VanHemel is also a Stormwatcher with Public Radio East.  He says he probably won’t use a shelter, but he’s ready to evacuate with his pet. “We have a little canvas bag that has a two or three day supply of dog food in a Ziploc bag, couple of plastic bowls, chain so if we have to steak him out some place, and we also have an extra set of leashes in the bag. So when it comes time for us to travel, we just grab the canvas, shopping bag looking thing, and take off with the dog… it’s all preplanned.” Roger Dail is the Emergency Services Director for Lenoir County. He advocates a solid plan like VanHemel’s and suggests a strategy that puts the pet owner in control, one that leaves emergency pet shelters open for those without other means. Dail encourages the public to make prior arrangements for their pets, and use the shelter at a last resort. He suggests that you contact your local veterinarian office, and see if they’ll have room to board your pet,or  you could send you pet to a family member maybe further into the state.  Every shelter has different requirements.  For information on the emergency evacuation plan for your area, contact your County Emergency Manager’s Office. Jared Brumbaugh.