Planning in the present

The 2007 hurricane season will not be as quiet as the ’06 season if the preseason is any indication, according to Director of Carteret County Emergency Management Allen Smith. And that can cause problems. The less active a hurricane season is, Smith explained, the less likely the public is to prepare the following season. “The more it’s in their face, the more prepared they tend to be,” Smith said.

Director of Onslow County Director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security Mark Goodman suggests preparing for the season despite last year’s quiet. “It is foolish to base your preparedness on past events,” Goodman said. Being prepared, Goodman said, is the key to surviving hurricane season.

He suggests three key steps to preparing for the season: Have a plan, build a kit and get a radio. In the kit, Goodman suggests keeping six “basics” — water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items — in an easy-to-carry container Smith also emphasizes the importance of a plan. “Have a plan, know what you’re going to do (and) make sure your family knows what the plan is,” Smith said. Evacuation plans, he said, are key, especially for those living on area islands.

“There comes a point where it’s time to pull people off the road because it’s unsafe,” Smith said. “If they choose to stay (on the islands), they’re pretty much on their own.”