"Be Ready" Tropical Storms

[Air Force Emergency Management logo] [music]

[Various b-roll of natural and man-made disasters] [music]

[Be Ready logo] "Tropical Storms"

Corey Dobridnia: "This presentation is part of a series designed to make you aware of the emergencies that could

affect your installation or local community and the steps you can take to 'be ready'.

A tropical storm is an organized system of strong thunderstorms with sustained winds between

39 miles per hour and 74 miles per hour. When these storms reach a constant speed of 74 miles per hour

or more, and are east of the international dateline they're referred to as a hurricane.

When they're west of the dateline they're referred to as a typhoon. There are seasons within these regions when tropical storms can develop.

The season for hurricanes begins 1 June and ends 30 November,

while typhoons can develop year-round most form between May and November.

[nat sound of rain and wind]

Preparing should begin weeks or months before the season starts, this allows plenty of time to gather

any needed supplies for your emergency supply kit and develop or revise your emergency plan.

[b-roll of Corey loading a car with supplies]

Water is one of the most important items in your kit. Your kit needs to have enough water and

non-perishable food items for three days for each member of your family and don't forget any pets.

You can survive for eight weeks without food but only three to five days without water

Other items can also be found in your home such as a radio so you can tune into local

news broadcasts and gather important information. Remember to have extra batteries too.

Make sure your first aid kit is sufficiently stocked to handle any medical emergency you may encounter.

Include special need items such as prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lens solution, or hearing aid batteries.

It's a good idea to include important legal documents such as

your will, house deed, and insurance contracts for your home and other property.

A good resource for information is the Air Force's 'Be Ready' mobile app.

It has an emergency supply kit listing, important links, and contact information. It's an extremely useful tool to have on your mobile device

When you're preparing your emergency supply kit and emergency plan, you should take the time to figure out a plan for your pets.

During hurricane Katrina over half a million pets were left to fend for themselves.

To avoid this problem make sure to plan for your pets needs by identifying pet-friendly

shelters and hotels, gathering pet supplies, and packing their vaccination records

The Air Force uses hurricane conditions to communicate to

the installation the state of emergency or preparedness for an approaching hurricane.

In typhoon prone areas, tropical cyclone conditions of readiness are used.

If your installation is in the path of a hurricane, recheck your emergency supply kit review your plan,

prepare your home and belongings, follow commander directives, and update AFPAS.

Once you've taken the necessary steps to prepare, keep an eye on your local news and

your installations notification and warning system to stay informed.

If your installation commander orders an evacuation, let your leadership know that you're leaving for your pre-designated evacuation site.

Also make sure your evacuation routes are still open.

If you and your family were unable to evacuate find a local shelter and bring along your emergency supply kit.

After the storm has passed your installation may have suffered damage from high surface winds and heavy flooding.

Do not return until you receive official notification from your leadership.

When you get back, inform your leadership; also check your home and notify your insurance agency of any damage found.

Follow all public health notices and commander directives as your installation and community begin recovery efforts.

The storm's aftermath can be overwhelming.

Everyone from young childrento the elderly could be affected in some way. 

So make sure you're able to recognize the signs and ways to cope with disaster related stress.

Hopefully this information has helped you better prepare for what to do before, during, and after a hurricane.

For more information, please take the time to visit your installation's

Office of Emergency Management or the 'Be Ready' website. This has been Corey Dobridnia reporting 

for the Emergency Management division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.

Stay safe and be ready!"

[Be Ready logo] www.BeReady.af.mil