NOAA Predicts High Activity during 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season
allRisk Disaster Expert Dean Ragone Urges Residents to Prepare for the Worst.
- Philadelphia, PA-NJ (1888PressRelease) May 31, 2013 - The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts another active hurricane season for the Atlantic in 2013.
Hurricane season begins June 1 and NOAA predicts that 7 to 11 hurricanes could hit the region, with 3 to 6 of those storms being major hurricanes before the season ends on Nov. 1. A major hurricane is defined as a storm with winds of 111 mph or higher.
Last year, Hurricane Sandy devastated the region causing billions of dollars in damage to the Atlantic coast. Many people lost valuable items and had property ravaged by the super storm. Disaster expert Dean Ragone believes that the key to weathering a hurricane is preparation.
"Many people weren't prepared for Sandy, and we all witnessed the terrible tragedy that the storm caused our region," say Ragone, president of Somerdale, N.J.-based allRisk Property Damage Experts (www.teamallrisk.com). It's important for people to utilize the technology we have today to help prepare for the worst."
NOAA experts believe that higher than average water temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea are one of the major factors for their 2013 prediction.
"The main uncertainty in this outlook is how much above normal the season will be," says Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. "Whether or not we approach the high end of the predicted ranges depends partly on whether or not La Niņa develops this summer. At present, we are in a neutral state, but conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for La Niņa to develop."
Ragone suggests these tips when preparing for a hurricane:
- Remember to "Text First, Talk Second." It promotes a culture of preparedness ("I M OK. R U OK?). Also, limiting communications via texting in the early stages of a disaster allows phone lines to remain open for emergency 911 calls.
- Download Apps. The Red Cross has a plethora of apps for virtually every emergency. Visit http://www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps now, before a disaster.
- Use a smartphone to scan important documents such as insurance policies, social security cards and other valuable documents by storing them in the cloud based storage system. Ragone recommends using the app Google Drive which allows users to access these files via phone.
- Take photos of your property before leaving your home. Google Picassa is an app that can store all of your photos. This way, damage can be properly accessed.
- Check weather updates via social media sites, television or radio to stay informed on the current weather situation. Smartphones allow people to stay in the loop even when they lose power.
- Make a disaster supply kit that includes water, food, flashlights, batteries, a portable radio, cash and extra clothes.
- Plan an evacuation plan for you, your family or business.
- Listen to warnings and evacuation orders from the government. These operate to keep you safe.
- While we are surrounded by technology, they are not a replacement for basic supplies in your kit. A radio with batteries could be key to delivering a tornado warning during an extended power outage when your cell phone or tablet batteries have died.
NOAA developed new technologies to combat the 2013 hurricane season. They created a supercomputer that runs an updated Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting program.
"The main thing is to listen and be prepared. When a hurricane hits, we can limit the damage and loss of lives by knowing what to expect and what to do," says Ragone.
For tips on disaster supply kits and storm recovery, visit http://www.allriskinc.com/company/storm_tips. For more information about allRisk, visit www.teamallrisk.com.
Contact: Tom Peric
856-874-0049
tom ( @ ) thegalileo dot com
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