Massachusetts State Officials: Be Prepared For Hurricane Joaquin

Image: National Weather Service

By LIZ TAURASI (Patch Staff)

While we yet to know what track Tropical Storm Joaquin will take, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is encouraging everyone in the state to be prepared.

Just after 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, forecasters upgraded Joaquin to a hurricane following an earlier hurricane warning issued for the central Bahamas as Joaquin makes its approach.

The storm will have impacts on New England this weekend. The exact impacts of Joaquin on Massachusetts will depend on its exact track and strength, but if it passes close by or makes landfall in the New England region, flooding rains, damaging winds and coastal flooding are possible.

Heavy rains preceding the eye of Joaquin could arrive in New England as early as Friday, while damaging winds associated with Joaquin could hold off until as late as Sunday, according to MEMA officials.

Joaquin is expected to strengthen over the next 72 hours, potentially to hurricane strength, as it moves slowly westward toward the Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service. The current forecast shows it turning to the north and increasing in speed starting Friday, bringing it to off Cape Hatteras by Sunday morning.

From knowing what zone you live in, knowing the risk, being prepared and staying informed, officials are urging residents to be ready just in case.

Know Your Zone

Know Your Zone is a preparedness campaign in that state that officials say will reduce injuries and loss of life from coastal flooding during a hurricane. Use the interactive Hurricane Evacuation Zone map (you can find it here) to find out if you live or work in a hurricane evacuation zone. The best way to be prepared for the possibility of a hurricane evacuation is to know your evacuation zone and develop your emergency plan (such as your destination and travel routes) ahead of time.‬

Know Your Risk

A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Hurricanes are categorized based on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage.

The primary hazards associated with hurricanes include:

• Storm Surge
• Heavy Rainfall & Inland Flooding
• High Winds
• Tornadoes
• Rip Currents

Be Prepared

To prepare for a hurricane, MEMA encourages all individuals and families to do the following:

Build an Emergency Kit:

Every home and business should have a stocked basic Emergency Kit that contains items and supplies that would help support you and your family during extended power outages or while you cannot get to a store. While some items are commonplace, such as bottled water and food, each kit should be customized to the needs of your family and should include medications and medical supplies, children’s items, and food and supplies for pets. To learn more about what a basic Emergency Kit should include please see our printer friendly checklist: Emergency Kit Checklist

Create A Family Emergency Plan:

Develop a Family Emergency Communications Plan in case family members are separated from one another during an emergency. This plan should also address reunification after the immediate crisis passes.

• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the Family Emergency Communications Plan contact person. During and immediately after a disaster occurs, it is often easier to access a long distance telephone number than a local one. Also, calling outside a disaster area is usually easier than calling into the same area. Text messages and the internet often have the ability to work in the event of phone service disruption or congestion.
• Keep a list of important contact phone numbers (particularly if your cell phone is lost or dead). Make sure everyone knows the name, address and telephone number of the Family Emergency Communications Plan contact person. Children should know their parent/ caregiver’s full name, home address, and an emergency contact number.
• Create a personal support network and a list of contacts that include caregivers, friends, family, neighbors, service/ care providers, and others who might be able to assist during an emergency.
• Designate two meeting areas for family members – one within your neighborhood, and one outside of your community (as an alternate location in case you can’t get home).

Create A Plan to Evacuate

Hurricanes may require evacuations, particularly for those who live or work inHurricane Evacuation Zones. If you live or work in an evacuation zone, you should plan for and be prepared to evacuate during a hurricane as part of your emergency plan.

Listen to local and state officials and weather forecasts before and during a hurricane for evacuation information.

If evacuations are necessary, local and state officials may use the evacuation zones (Zone A, Zone B or Zone C) to identify areas to be evacuated.

Create A Plan to Shelter-In-Place

During hurricanes, if you do not evacuate, you will likely “shelter-in-place”. As part of your emergency plan, officials say you should consider what you would need or would need to do in advance of sheltering in place. This includes building an Emergency KitandPreparing Your Home and Property for a Hurricane. For more information, see MEMA’s Shelter in Place webpage.

Stay Informed

• Sign up for your community’s emergency alerting system to get local information.

• Carefully monitor the media and follow instructions from public safety officials as a storm approaches.

• Be aware of severe weather warnings and watches, which can be obtained from media sources, the National Weather Service, a NOAA all-hazards radio, and Massachusetts Alerts.

• 2-1-1 is the Commonwealth’s primary telephone call center during times of an emergency and is able to provide information on emergency resources and is free and available 24 hours a day, confidential, multilingual, and TTY compatible.

• Learn more about how to Be Informed during a hurricane.

Image: MEMA