While the Northeast has been spared from such a disaster in recent decades - and though researchers at Colorado State University believe that this year's hurricane season won't be as bad as last year's - there is still a very real possibility that a hurricane of Katrina's magnitude could strike our area.
So what can residents do to be prepared? The following precautions are recommended by the Nassau County Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Hurricane Center.
n Depending on the severity of the hurricane, you may need to evacuate. Listen to the radio or TV for information. If you are directed by the local authorities to leave, do so immediately. You may be directed to a temporary emergency shelter for the duration of the storm, but it is recommended that you seek refuge with friends or family members away from the affected area.
n Develop a family disaster plan - including that undelayed evacuation if it is ordered - and put it in writing. Discuss with your family your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind. Your emergency plan should include a communication system - who's responsible for calling whom, and when - a disaster supply kit, and an alternate meeting place if your home is unsafe. Every work place and school should have an evacuation plan and emergency procedures. Become familiar with them, and factor them into your plan for gathering your family. Also, friends, neighbors and relatives should know where you're going if you have to leave.
n If you have any special needs - a family member who has a medical condition or uses a wheelchair, for example - be sure to take them into consideration when developing your emergency plan. For more information, contact the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management at (516) 573-0636 or e-mail the office at NCOEM@nassaucountyny.gov and request a brochure on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
n Pets aren't allowed in shelters, so be sure to make plans for your pets. You may want to contact the Pet Safe Coalition Inc. to learn about its shelter programs. For more information, call (516) 676-0808 or visit www.petsafecoalition.org.
n Before you leave your home, secure windows and shutters with plywood. Remove all loose shrubbery and tree limbs from your property. Secure patio furniture, top off your car's gas tank and turn off the electricity via the main switch.
n If for some reason you're unable to evacuate before a hurricane hits, go to a safe room. If you don't have one, follow some basic guidelines: Stay indoors and away from windows and glass doors. Close all interior doors, secure and brace external doors, and keep your curtains and blinds closed. Take refuge in an interior room, hallway or closet on the lowest level of your house, or lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object. Don't be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm, after which winds will pick up again.
n Put together a survival kit. It should contain information and supplies for you to use at home or to take with you to an emergency shelter, including everything from personal information to bottled water. For a full list of items you'll need, log on to www.nassaucountyny.gov and click on the hurricane preparedness page.
More information on hurricane preparedness is available at the National Hurricane Center's Web site, www.nhc.noaa.gov.
