[Tallahassee, FL] In his Weekly Radio Address delivered on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott talked up preparedness as Florida enters the 2012 hurricane season, which officially started June 1.
“It is important that each Floridian and Florida business has an action plan,” said Scott. “We want to ensure that everyone is prepared in case a tropical system threatens Florida.”
Even though the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a prediction that says it expects to see a “normal” number of storms form in the Atlantic this season two named storms have already caused hearty winds and rain in Florida.
They consider normal to be 9 to 15 tropical storms with 4 to 8 of those turning into hurricanes.
What everyone should be worried about is the prediction that between 1 and 3 storms could end up being the big scary deadly damaging type, with winds topping 111 mph or more.
“It takes one storm to come ashore, regardless of the intensity of the season, to create a disaster,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deputy administrator for protection and national preparedness, Tim Manning, as reported by ABC News.
GOV. RICK SCOTT’S WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS (YES IT IS A VIDEO):
That’s why you should be prepared, so stock up on supplies and research evacuation routes.
The state agencies aren’t taking any chances.
“At the state level, our emergency managers are working to make sure we are prepared to provide a rapid and coordinated response in case of an emergency,” said Scott.
“With this year being the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, we have an especially poignant of reminder the importance of getting a plan to ensure our safety,” he said.
Be sure to visit the unfortunately named floridadisaster.org website to get schooled on disaster preparedness. The site also serves as a look-at-what-we’re-doing-for-you reminder from the Scott administration, so you can peep their progress.
Download the State of Florida’s 2012 Severe Weather Awareness Guide in PDF format here.
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
Image: floridadisaster.org
hurricane season
