Remember Irene? Be prepared — it's hurricane season

Last August, Tropical Storm Irene hit Long Island hard, ravaging neighborhoods across the South Shore. There was massive flooding, thousands of downed trees and widespread property damage. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority shut down all public transportation, and the Long Island Power Authority reported that 523,000 customers lost power.

With punishing rain and winds, Irene created a storm surge so powerful in Long Beach that it lifted Beach Patrol headquarters off its foundation and slammed it into the boardwalk. In nearby Island Park, every street was flooded, and the most useful mode of transportation was a kayak. Residents in Long Island’s lower-lying areas who stayed in their homes found themselves marooned, surrounded by water, and many of those who evacuated had trouble returning to their homes.

As damaging and disrupting as Irene was, it could have been much worse if we hadn’t been prepared. And with hurricane season upon us once again, we should have a renewed appreciation for just how important it is to be ready for a monster storm.

Long Island is in a hurricane danger zone, and the proof is not only Irene, but all the storms that came before her. In September 1938, a hurricane nicknamed the Long Island Express took 700 lives and destroyed 4,500 homes. Others that wreaked havoc included the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954, Donna in 1960, Gloria in 1985 and Bob in 1991. And although the GeoGraphics Laboratory at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts gives Nassau County only a 1.1 percent chance of being hit by a hurricane during the remainder of this year’s season, which run through the end of November, it is in all of our best interests to take the advice of local, county, state and federal officials and be prepared. Even lesser storms can cost lives and destroy property.

The American Red Cross suggests that you put together a hurricane kit, make a plan for your family in the event of a storm and stay informed at all times. The organization offers the following guidelines:

Before a hurricane hits:

• Pack extra clothing, toiletries and medications.