National Preparedness

National Preparedness Month is observed each September in the United States. Hurricane season in Florida usually reaches its climax in September and then fizzles out early in October. Tropical storm Erika gave us a bit of a scare when most meteorologists anticipated that the tropical storm would not only strengthen, but also make landfall about 3 hours southeast of Jacksonville. Thankfully, Tropical Storm Erika dissipated after disrupting the island of Hispaniola and most projections had its course altering toward the Gulf Coast. It then weakened even further and scuttled off into the gulf, ending up an afterthought to most of us here locally.

Up to this point in the 2015 hurricane season, we here on the First Coast have been fortunate to come through with little to no tropical storm activity to report. Nothing has caused enough of a stir to wreak the usual havoc and chaos that tropical storms and hurricanes tend to leave in their wake. Nonetheless, the boy scouts had their hats on straight the day they crafted their motto, “Be Prepared”.

The wisest course of action would suggest that, when at all possible, it is ultimately better that we be prepared for situations that require unorthodox or emergency situational responses. Hurricanes and tropical storms have proven time and again that no matter what their “projected paths” are, they are massive in their destructive capabilities and can change directions and strengthen dramatically depending on ever-evolving atmospheric conditions. As meteorologists do their level best to keep us as informed and ahead of the storm as they can, sometimes you and your home end up directly in the path of one of these catastrophic forces of nature.

There are basic, common sense things you can do to prepare yourself, like making sure you have enough food and water on hand to survive a potentially extended period of time without access to a potable source and Army Navy Outdoors has the right emergency kit for you...or you can even build your own!