In the 2020 hurricane season, for only the second time in recorded history, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) exhausted its list of names, forcing it to use the Greek alphabet for any remaining storms. As it turns out, Mother Nature provided nine additional hurricanes to end the season with Iota.
Busy hurricane seasons have been a recent trend: 2020 was the fifth consecutive year with a greater than average number of storms in the Atlantic. The 2021 season officially starts on June 1, and while we don’t know yet what’s in store, we do know it’s time to prepare. That’s why the National Weather Service (NWS) kicked off National Hurricane Preparedness Week this week (May 9-15).
The event website offers valuable guidance for emergency managers, as well as residents and businesses, in hurricane evacuation zones, including the CDC’s storm preparation tips during COVID-19, what disaster supplies you might need and how to write an evacuation plan. Anyone who lives or works in a hurricane evacuation zone should act now to mitigate risk and potential impact on their communities, businesses and homes.
Of course, emergency management, business continuity and disaster recovery professionals have more ground to cover when preparing for a large-scale storm. The larger your community, the more complex your response will be. Thinking through your disaster recovery plans and putting the right critical event management capabilities in place now will go a long way toward improving the effectiveness of your response and ensuring the best outcomes. For instance, with OnSolve’s fully automated, geo-targeted critical weather alerts integrated with the National Weather Service (NWS), you can ensure anyone in the path of the storm has time to get out of the way.
As you plan and prepare for the hurricane season, be sure to check out the OnSolve Hurricane Preparedness Communication Kit for information, guides and ideas from subject matter experts.
Given that the past five years have seen above-average numbers of hurricanes and tropical storms, we might be in for a wild ride in 2021. With hurricane season less than a month away, time is running short to finalize or refresh your plans. To stay in the know, visit the NWS National Hurricane Preparedness website and take advantage of the OnSolve Hurricane Preparedness Communication Kit.
