La. National Guard, citizens prepare for hurricane season

By Staff Sgt. Denis B. Ricou

Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office

BATON ROUGE, La. – As the start of hurricane season is upon us once again, the Louisiana National Guard is reassuring its fellow citizens that they have been preparing for the worst by training at their best all year round, most recently during the Disaster Response and Commodities Distribution Exercises.

With Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s proclamation of May 27 – June 2 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week, the LANG also wants to ensure that all citizens are prepared to defend, react, and protect themselves in the event a hurricane does strike Louisiana.

“We’ve already seen some tropical activity and hurricane season hasn’t officially started yet.

Regardless of predictions on how active hurricane season will be, it only takes one bad storm to

disrupt the lives of our citizens,” said Kevin Davis, director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a near-normal year for hurricanes with nine to 15 storms in the Atlantic Ocean. Of these storms, four to eight could strengthen to a hurricane with winds of 74 mph or higher, with as many as three becoming major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher.

WHAT TO DO

The Red Cross offers steps to get ready for hurricane season. These steps include:

• Build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for an infant if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.
• Talk with household members and create an evacuation plan. Planning and practicing your evacuation plan minimizes confusion and fear during the event.
• Be informed. Learn about the community’s hurricane response plan. Plan routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as required and make plans for pets to be cared for.
• Because standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding, it’s important to have protection from the floods associated with hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rains and other conditions that impact the United States. For more information on flood insurance, please visit the National Flood Insurance Program website at www.floodsmart.com

For more information, please visit the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) website at http://gohsep.la.gov or www.getagameplan.org