Hurricane Season Preparations
The 2006 hurricane season begins June 1. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are working closely with state and local governments and relief organizations to remind residents and businesses in coastal areas to make their emergency preparations now.
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2006 Hurricane Preparation
The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with state and local partners to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. Steps include
- Increasing the amount of relief supplies to be able to sustain 1 million people for a period of one week.
- Conducting five regional Hurricane Preparedness Exercises in the Gulf before June 1.
- Visits to 131 sites (50 states, 6 territories, and 75 major urban areas) and reviewing the preparedness plans , for each, to allow the Department to identify deficiencies and make certain that evacuation plans are up to date.
- Pre-designating Federal incident commanders to coordinate, plan and train with state and local officials and their federal counterparts before disaster strikes.
- Updating the National Response Plan to clarify roles and responsibilities, and create a National Operations Center to provide a central point of coordination and situational awareness in an incident.
- Retooling FEMA across several key areas; building a cutting-edge logistics system, enhancing FEMA’s customer service capability, hardening lines of communication, and expediting the process of debris removal.
Preparation Roles and Responsibilities
State and local governments are closest to those affected by natural disasters, and have always been the lead in response and recovery. The federal government acts in a supporting role, providing assistance, logistical support, and certain supplies.
Local government is responsible for providing for the safety and security of citizens in advance of a hurricane. That means they are in charge of developing emergency plans, determining evacuation routes, providing public transportation for those who can’t self-evacuate, and setting up and stocking local shelters with relief supplies.
State government is responsible for mobilizing the National Guard, pre-positioning certain assets and supplies, and setting up the state’s emergency management functions. They are also in charge of requesting federal support though the formal disaster declaration process .
Federal government is responsible for meeting those requests from the state – before, during and after the disaster. This includes
- providing logistical support for search and rescue,
- providing food, water and ice,
- establishing disaster centers and processing federal disaster claims, and
- participating in short and long-term public works projects, such as debris removal and infrastructure rebuilding.
Personal and Community Preparedness
“People really need to be prepared to sustain themselves for up to 72 hours after a disaster – that means people need to have an emergency plan and an emergency kit with adequate supplies of food, water, and other essentials.”
-- Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
Personal preparedness for a disaster is a civic virtue. By taking small steps, those who can make preparations allow local first responders to tend to those who cannot self-evacuate.
- Prepare an Emergency Supply Kit and Family Emergency Plan: Individuals and families should prepare emergency supply kits with food, water, battery operated radios and medicines. Families should also make emergency plans that include how and where they would evacuate, shelter-in-place and communicate with one another. For more information on preparing for emergencies, please visit Ready.gov.
- Listen to Local Authorities: Individuals should pay careful attention to the advice of local authorities. By self-evacuating, the “able-bodied” can allow authorities to devote resources where they are needed the most.
Press Releases
More on DHS.GOV
Resources
- Ready provides simple steps that citizens can take to prepare themselves for a disaster. These steps include developing an emergency plan and preparing a supply kit. Includes information for Ready America, Ready Business, Ready Kids and Listo.
- Citizen Corps helps coordinate volunteer activities to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures—through local community organizations, training and volunteering.
- About Hurricanes general information from FEMA about hurricanes including what to do before, during and after a storm.
- National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States. Part of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Last updated May 24, 2006
Source: Department of Homeland Security
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