Hurricane Warning: We're Not Ready

by Tyler Waldman and Mary Ann Barton

Federal officials predict an active hurricane season this year, and a recent survey finds many residents in hurricane-prone areas are not prepared.

The survey by The Weather Channel and the American Red Cross found that only 63 percent of residents in the southern Atlantic coast—including Maryland—were very concerned about tropical weather, and only 22 percent had taken steps to prepare.

For more on the 2013 hurricane season, see:  'Active' Hurricane Season, 'Well Above' Average, NOAA Predicts

A third of those surveyed in coastal states did not have an emergency kit and three of 10 didn't have an evacuation plan.

The American Red Cross advises residents in hurricane-prone areas to check disaster supplies, have a weather radio handy and evacuate if ordered. When a storm is approaching, the Red Cross advises residents to turn refrigerators and freezers to their coldest settings and to fill gas tanks in case of an evacuation.

Unsecured objects like bicycles and lawn furniture should be moved where they won't be blown away by high winds.

The Red Cross suggests having supplies on hand including a three-day supply of food and water, a seven-day supply of medications, a flashlight, money and a camera.

Federal officials project that climate patterns, warm water temperatures in the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, and the lack of El Niño and its hurricane-suppressing effects will lead to the stronger hurricane season.

Hurricane season began June 1. The third named storm, Tropical Storm Chantal, is currently in the Caribbean, just south of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Dominion Virginia Power offers these tips for customers when a storm approaches:

• Treat all downed lines and anything touching them as energized and dangerous. Be sure your children know the danger.
• Report and check the status of power outages when usingthe company's website via smartphone, other mobile device or computer. You will need the account number or 10-digit phone number listed on the account, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, federal tax identification number or PIN. Phone numbers can be updated online through Manage Your Account or by calling our phone number update line at (800) 222-0401.
• You also can report an outage using Dominion's toll-free service number, (866) DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). Program this number into your phone's memory or keep it handy so you can find it if the lights go out.
• Put together an emergency preparedness kit with needed supplies such as flashlights, water, medicines, portable radios, extra batteries and canned goods.
• Look after neighbors and relatives who may need assistance if they lose power.