RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Crime Control & Public Safety (CCPS)
is encouraging all North Carolinians and visitors to be prepared, be alert
and be ready for nature’s most devastating storm. This year North Carolina joined other Atlantic and Gulf Coast states in participating in National
Hurricane Awareness Week.
Decisions that have to be made include:
whether or not you will leave your home when a hurricane approaches; if
you do evacuate, where you will go; what you will do with family pets;
and which family members you should notify if you have to evacuate or if
your immediate family members become separated.
"Being prepared means not waiting
until later in the summer or until a hurricane is brewing off our coast
to think about getting your emergency plan together," said CCPS Secretary
Bryan Beatty. "The time to get ready is now."
Beatty added that while the majority
of North Carolina’s hurricanes occur in August, September and October,
residents and visitors should put their family preparedness kit together
now. A family preparedness kit should be stocked with enough non-perishable
food and one gallon of water per person per day to last each family member
three to five days. The kit should also include the following essentials:
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Water purification kit or bleach
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First aid kit and first aid book
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Baby supplies and formula
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Non-electric can opener
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Anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel
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Blanket or sleeping bag per person
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Flashlight and extra batteries
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Portable radio or TV and extra batteries
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Essential medications
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Extra pair of eyeglasses
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Extra house and car keys
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Fire extinguisher - ABC-type
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Food, water, leash and carrier for pets
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Cash and change
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Seasonal change of clothing, including
sturdy shoes
The items should be stored in a waterproof
box or container that is small enough for a family to take with them during
an evacuation or make them self-sufficient in their home in a power outage.
"Dr. William Gray, Professor of Atmospheric
Science at Colorado State University, has predicted 12 named storms this
year with seven expected to be hurricanes. If all those storms by-pass
North Carolina, then it will have been a good year," said Beatty. "However,
it only takes one to make it a very bad year."
Questions about Hurricane Awareness preparedness may be directed to your county
or state emergency management agencies.{Pasquotank County} Preparedness information is available
at www.ncem.org
or at the national hurricane awareness site at www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/index.htm.
For the lastest disaster aid and infomation,visit DisasterRelief.org
Get your offical NOAA/NewsRadio 560 WGAI hurricane tracking map here! Its printable too!
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