Hurricane Disaster Preparedness Are you as ready as you should be? Donny Ard Walden University Environmental Health PUBH 8165 October 26, 2009

Learning Objective Identify what a hurricane is and the damage it can cause Educate the State of Maryland Residents on Hurricane Disaster Preparedness Identify and educate on natural disaster relief organizations Moving on after dealing with grief and stress of a hurricane This presentation is meant to provide basic but important information to those living in the Maryland, DC area about hurricane preparedness. The important stakeholders include the general public (Maryland Residents), Local Hospitals, Local Fire/Rescue/EMS/Police departments, State and Local government such as Mayors, Governor of Maryland, Department of Transportation, National Guards and other Armed Forces. Hurricanes have been very dangerous and have caused the lives of many. I hope that this presentation will bring thoughts to you mind about what you may need to do in order to prepare for such a great natural disaster.

What is a Hurricane? It is a type of tropical cyclone A cyclone is a major thunderstorm that originates in the tropics and is associated with heavy winds. Cyclones have phases or categories Tropical Depression Tropical Storm Hurricane National Hurricane Center. (2009). Hurricane Basics. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone. In the meteorology world, this means a low pressure system that generally forms in the tropics. This storm can be associated with heavy winds and thunderstorms. There are three phases or categories that make up a cyclone. The classifications all depend on the strength of the winds they produce. Tropical Depression-An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds* of 38 mph or less Tropical Storm-An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph Hurricane-An intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph or higher

Hurricanes Have a categorizing system of their own Depends on their wind strength and are categorized 1 through 5 Have a unique naming system System started in 1979 Rotation of name on a female/male basis National Hurricane Center. (2009). Hurricane Basics. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml Hurricanes are then classified on their on system. Using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, hurricanes are categorized from 1-5 depending on their wind strength. Have you ever wondered how the hurricanes received their names? I have. Well there is a system that was put into place in 1979 that uses a six year rotating list. Right now the list is extended through to 2014. The names used are of female/male orientation and alternate. The letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not used because of the name limitations they offer. A hurricane’s name is retired if that particular storm produces causalities.

Hurricane Season Tropical storms vary in size, strength, and starts at different times depending on location Generally for the Atlantic the season starts in June and ends in November US Department of State. (2009). Hurricane Season - Know Before You Go. Retrieved from http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/hurricane_season/hurricane_se on_2915.html

History’s most talked about Hurricanes Hurricane Katrina (2005) Hurricane Charley (2004) Hurricane Andrew (1992) Hurricane Hugo (1989) Hurricane Donna (1960) National Hurricane Center. (2009). NHC Archive of Hurricane Seasons. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml#infamous There have been some very deadly storms in this earth’s history. We can all remember just a few years ago the problems Hurricane Katrina caused. I was actually on my way to Louisiana for my 10 year high school reunion in Grambling, LA. I barely made it there because of the storm. I can remember driving from Tennessee, having to fill up gas in Alabama, and hearing how there was such a gas shortage from Alabama to Louisiana. No one was prepared for this disaster. We can all remember the stories we saw on television about thousands of families having to relocate because of this storm. The others are just a few more that many may remember. Lives have been lost from these storms. Hurricane Katrina caused over 1200 deaths that year.

Being Prepared Will you be traveling to other areas? Have a personal evacuation plan in place Listen to local news channels to determine what the category Understanding who is there for you after the storm is over These next couple of slides will address the needs and answer the question “Are you as prepared as you should be?” Many people do travel during hurricane season. We shall address what one should do if they are preparing to travel abroad Do you and you family have a plan in place for an evacuation? Do you have friends or family that you can go to incase a storm has to cause for an evacuation Do you have the a supply of batteries, a first aid kit, flash lights, and other important disaster supplies? Do you have/need flood insurance in addition to your home owner’s insurance? Do you know who your resources are and where they are located incase you need them for rebuilding purposes?

Traveling There are many areas during hurricane season that are affected besides Maryland Caribbean Florida Gulf of Mexico New York Maine Because tickets maybe cheaper, many people travel to hurricane areas during the hurricane season. The US Department of State has a check list of things that should be done if traveling during hurricane season to hurricane areas. The list can be found at this following website. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/hurricane_season/hurricane_season_2915.html

Disaster Evacuation Do you have an alternate place or family member’s house to go to? Where is the closest hospital? Do you have necessary disaster equipment and supplies? What are you going to do with family pets? Is you home secured for the storm? Do you know where your state and local shelters are?

Local News and Weather Notifications Listening to the news can give important information Has the local weather given a warning versus a watch Has the news station given mandated evacuation information If there is a power outage it is best to have a battery powered radio to listen for important updates Has the storm increased in size What streets are closed Where/When should you seek shelter

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency MEMA is responsible for preparing the entire state of Maryland to deal with large scale emergencies Coordinates actions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) In the time of emergencies, reports directly to the governor of the state MEMA is a great organization that is in place on the state level to help with large scale emergencies. Not only to they deal with weather hazards such as hurricanes, but they are also responsible for dealing with winter weather issues and flooding MEMA is apart of the Maryland Military Department and is under the authority of the Adjutant General. As mentioned earlier, this agency is reports and receives their orders directly from the governor with emergencies. This is important for the governor and the agency to be on the same page with plans of actions The website is pretty helpful with direct issues and covering natural disaster preparedness for the 23 counties of the state of Maryland. MEMA. (2009). About MEMA. Retrieved from http://www.mema.state.md.us/MEMA/content_page.jsp?TOPICID=about

Maryland Insurance Administration Do you have adequate home or flood insurance? Do you know who to contact if you are affected by a natural disaster? Did you let your insurance lapse? MEMA has set up on their website important information to the citizens about information pertaining to insurance and who to contact in the need of an emergency. They provide information on whether one should purchase flood insurance and when the appropriate time when insurance should and can be purchased. Many insurance companies do not make you aware of this option. You should know if you need flood insurance and this website can help. Maryland Insurance Administration. (2009). Insurance Preparedness for Natural Disasters. Retrieved from http://www.mdinsurance.state.md.us/sa/jsp/consumer/Consumer.jsp?divisionName=Consumer+Information%5EInsurance+Preparedness+for+Natural+Disasters&pageName=/sa/jsp/consumer/Consumer.jsp

References  Maryland Insurance Administration. (2009). Insurance Preparedness for Natural Disasters. Retrieved from http://www.mdinsurance.state.md.us/sa/jsp/consumer/Consumer.jsp?divisionName=Consumer+Information%5EInsurance+Preparedness+for+Natural+Disasters&pageName=/sa/jsp/consumer/Consumer.jsp  MEMA. (2009). About MEMA. Retrieved from http://www.mema.state.md.us/MEMA/content_page.jsp?TOPICID=about National Hurricane Center (2009). Be Prepared. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml National Hurricane Center. (2009). Hurricane Basics. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml National Hurricane Center. (2009). NHC Archive of Hurricane Seasons. Retrieved from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml#infamous US Department of State. (2009). Hurricane Season - Know Before You Go. Retrieved from http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/hurricane_season/hurricane_season_2915.html