PRE Wants Your Hurricane Pictures!
Do you have pictures from a Hurricane that impacted Eastern North Carolina?  If so, send your pictures to Public Radio East and they might end up on our hurricane page!  Send your pictures via email to our News Director. You can also view some of the photos we've received so far!

Hurricane Season June 1- November 30

The Atlantic Hurricane Season began June 1st.   For many in the east, these massive storms mean boarding up windows, procuring generators, and inevitably – cleaning up afterwards.   But, hurricanes also produce a lot of rain, wind, & damage to businesses and homes.   Mother Nature's way of distributing heat ... can pack a powerful punch.  As many eastern North Carolinians know - hurricanes are formed first, off the African coast as the ocean heats water up to 80 degrees or higher.  With temperatures rising during the summer months, the Atlantic becomes a breeding ground for tropical weather.  Tom Crane, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Newport has found a pattern resulting from the Atlantic oceans rising temperatures and the increasing numbers of hurricanes. “Starting in the mid-90’s, we had an above normal number of hurricanes forming, and we’re expecting that this year," reported Crane. " The forecast is for above normal activity, this is the 11 of the past 13 years the forecast has been for above normal activity.  For actual numbers that are going to form, NOAA is putting out for named storms, that includes both tropical storms and hurricanes—13 to 17. Now, the normal number is about 10.  The normal number over the last decade had been about 13.  So we're going with about 13 to 17, so that is above normal.”     Crane adds, these predictions have nothing to do with how many of those potential hurricanes or storms could make landfall, and advises residents of Eastern North Carolina to always be prepared for a hurricane to strike each season.  Ed Jenkins is the manager of the planning support branch for the North Carolina division of emergency management, and says that because of an increase in frequency and severity of hurricanes, now is not too early to start preparing. “First of all, is a communication plan.  If they are in a area that is a floodplain, they need to have a communication plan so if they do evacuate, they can call somebody and let them know where they’re going.  Secondly, they need to have a kit to take with them—first of all, they need to have a supply of food and water in their house, probably on the order of three to seven days worth of food and water that they can get by on.  Also, a radio, a battery operated radio, I think a camera is also good to document any problems that their having that may need to file a claim for insurance.  And then prescription drugs.  If anyone in the house [needs prescription drugs], they need a full supply to have in their kits.  And I would say sufficient gasoline in their car.  One of the things we saw when people evacuated two years ago in the Gulf Coast was they allowed their cars to run out of fuel.” Being prepared for a hurricane could be especially important this season. This week, Governor Mike Easley informed North Carolinians that the state’s disaster team could handle all storms up to a category three hurricane.  A key member of that team, the N.C. National Guard, is short of equipment and stretched thin by troop deployments to Iraq and elsewhere.  Even though the team isn’t working at its full potential, Jenkins is confident that the current disaster team will be sufficient, and if a severe hurricane arises, help will come from other sources. “And really through the compact that states sign up to, should we need additional resources, we have other states that are backing us up with their equipment and people  And  probably deploying forward as events unfold will be FEMA, they will have communications, primarily communications and resources that will be in place near by, not in the theater where the hurricane may hit.  Obviously, we don’t want to deploy people and equipment into a threatened area, but certainly just out side of it so that we can shortly get in and take care as events unfold.” Frederick Moritz is a New Bern resident, and is a Public Radio East storm watcher.  Moritz already has an evacuation plan in place in the event of severe weather.   "I have a strategy where I have a climate-controlled storage rented.  As the warnings come more intensely, I can put additional stuff there if I want to.  And then I have an escape plan where I take my computer and put my paintings in plastic trash bags and relocate to a hotel.” Although Moritz is prepared for a storm, he believes people can become overly anxious about hurricane season.   “The worst thing is that everyone talks about it so much.  You know, that you have this generalized state of anxiety about when its it going to happen, how bad is it going to be, and there’s the back drop of Katrina, and now we have all this incredible warning system, but the down side to that is that there’s always a feeling of danger in the air.” But, that feeling of apprehension may be warranted…  A new analysis from University of Central Florida statistics professor Mark Johnson and Georgia researcher Chuck Watson puts Carteret County at the top of the list of locations in the nation most likely to be struck with hurricane force winds.  Of the top 20 counties at the highest risk along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, eight are in North Carolina. Above all, meteorologist Tom Crane says it always pays to be knowledgeable when it comes to hurricane season. “Wind is an obvious hazard.  So if you have a lot of big trees around your house, and wind could blow a tree over on your house, wind could be a problem for you.  If you live on the beach, storm surge is an issue.  Or you live on the shores of one of our rivers that come inland, like say the Neuse River or the Tar River.  Anywhere in Eastern North Carolina, heavy rain is an issue and that results in inland flooding.  We have a substantial number of deaths each year that a hurricane makes landfall due to inland flooding or rainfall flooding, not storm surge, but just from the rainfall.  And when the actual hurricane is moving through, there are also tornado threats to go along with it.  So think about those and if any of those- well some of those are undoubtedly going to have an effect on everybody in Eastern North Carolina.” Jared Brumbaugh

Providing Emergency Shelter For Our Pets

With about 73 million pet dogs and approximately 90 million claimed cats in the United States, it’s no wonder that legislation was implemented to provide pets with shelter in emergency evacuations.   In October of 2006, the Stafford Act was passed giving FEMA responsibility for coordinating government wide relief efforts.  The bill was in response to the situation along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina when many pets were seperated from their owners, or in some cases, the owners didn’t evacuate because of their pets.  Since then, polices have been put into place requiring facilitys to hold both pets and their owners.  Alan Smith, Carteret County Emergency Services Director, says the passing of the Stafford Act required the county to establish a pet friendly shelter.  With the support of other organizations, the county is working to provide space that is clean, safe, and properly run. “We have a partnership with a couple of different organizations, PAWS being one, as well as  the Carteret County Humane Society.  Our primary shelter, which is located at Newport Middle School, this year will also have a pet wing that will allow those evacuees who have domesticated animals to pre-register and provide information to us so we can accept their pets during an evacuation process.”  Most counties will utilize volunteers to feed and care for animals.  But Norman Bryson, Assistant manager of Onslow County Emergency Services, says in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster, the county will provide shelter for people and their pets, but will not use volunteer staff to help.   “It allows for people who have dogs, cats, birds…anything of that nature to come in.  They have to be prepared.  They have to bring their own food, and leashes, and be prepared to walk the animal.  Its not a situation where they can come in, drop off their animal, and expect someone else to take care of it. The humans have to be housed at the same location as their animals are.” ording to Bryson, Frank Moritz is a Stormwatcher for Public Radio East.  He normally evacuates to a hotel in severe weather, but now says he may take advantage of a local shelter in his area.  “I might consider changing my plan and going to a shelter instead of a hotel.  The last time I went to a hotel, the lighting went off three times and where as at my mobile home, it never went off.  So I would certainly consider some other course of action for myself and my dog. Paul VanHemel is also a Stormwatcher with Public Radio East.  He says he probably won’t use a shelter, but he’s ready to evacuate with his pet. “We have a little canvas bag that has a two or three day supply of dog food in a Ziploc bag, couple of plastic bowls, chain so if we have to steak him out some place, and we also have an extra set of leashes in the bag. So when it comes time for us to travel, we just grab the canvas, shopping bag looking thing, and take off with the dog… it’s all preplanned.” Roger Dail is the Emergency Services Director for Lenoir County. He advocates a solid plan like VanHemel’s and suggests a strategy that puts the pet owner in control, one that leaves emergency pet shelters open for those without other means. Dail encourages the public to make prior arrangements for their pets, and use the shelter at a last resort. He suggests that you contact your local veterinarian office, and see if they’ll have room to board your pet,or  you could send you pet to a family member maybe further into the state.  Every shelter has different requirements.  For information on the emergency evacuation plan for your area, contact your County Emergency Manager’s Office. Jared Brumbaugh.