THE HURRICANE WATCH
A weekly e-newsletter from the Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

Preparedness Bulletin #9 - June 2, 2006

2006 Hurricane Season: It's Here!
Hurricane season officially began yesterday, June 1, and Office of Homeland Security-Georgia Emergency Management Agency (OHS-GEMA) officials continue to urge state residents to be prepared. Experts are predicting an active season this year, but no one knows when or where a hurricane might strike between now and November 30. Meteorologists and the media warn that this year's hurricane season could be a repeat of 2005, which was the most active on record. The damage left by Katrina and Rita last year is still very evident along the Gulf Coast from Alabama to Texas.

Along the hard-hit Gulf Coast, people worry that recovery efforts could be severely set back by another hurricane strike this year. But there is no way to tell this early in the season where hurricanes might go this year. That really depends on where the storms form and the oceanic and
atmospheric conditions at the time that will steer the storm towards or away from land.

The best thing people in hurricane-vulnerable states, such as Georgia, can do is prepare well in advance of any storm. Calls for preparation, evacuation and other measures in our state will come from local emergency management agencies, after consultation with the Governor's Office, GEMA
and the National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center. The best decisions that can be made will be made on behalf of Georgia's citizens. So, when local and state officials issue emergency orders, take heed and act promptly.

DHS-FEMA Region IV Hurricane Exercise Attracts 500 in Atlanta
A fictional hurricane named "Omni" provided hundreds of officials and key personnel an opportunity to evaluate response concepts, policies, plans, procedures and capabilities during a two-day tabletop exercise at the Airport Hilton Hotel, May 31-June 1. State and local representatives from
eight southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee), along with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. military, volunteer agencies, and private industry, focused on increasing knowledge of response concepts, identifying planning opportunities and achieving a coordinated response approach in various activities such as:

• Citizen Protection: Evacuation and/or In-Place Protection
• Communications
• Critical Resource Logistics and Distribution
• Emergency Public Information and Warning
• Mass Care (Sheltering, Feeding, and Related Services)
• Casualty Management

The exercise scenario had the Category 4 hurricane's eye coming ashore at Wilmington, North Carolina; however, the Georgia contingent modified the scenario to make "Omni's" eye hit the Georgia coast, as well, near Savannah. That slight tweak gave Georgia's players and observers, both state and local, the opportunity to refine overall response and decision-making processes as well as integrate and coordinate responding public health, emergency management, public safety and private industry objectives from an impacted state perspective as opposed to that of a host
or neighboring state. Overall, the exercise provided valuable insight into many aspects of hurricane response that will be beneficial to our state's planning and preparedness efforts.

New Survey: Cause For Concern as 2006 Hurricane Season Arrives
For three weeks now, we've looked at a recent study by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research that shows a dangerously high percentage of residents in hurricane vulnerable states are unprepared, don't take the threat of hurricanes seriously, and have big gaps in what they know about hurricanes -- even those who live within 30 miles of the coast.

The disturbing key findings indicate:

• 56% don't feel vulnerable to a hurricane or related tornado or flooding
• 60% have no family disaster plan
• 68% have no hurricane survival kit
• 83% have taken no steps to make their homes stronger
• 13% said they might not or would not evacuate even if ordered to leave -- leaving tens of residents at grave risk

The deadly threat of storm surge was one of the most serious knowledge gaps revealed by the survey: 68% did not know storm surge represents the greatest potential for loss of life from a hurricane - even after witnessing the destructive force of storm surge during Hurricane Katrina. Experts say storm surge can account for deaths well inland, yet 13% of coastal residents said they would not or might not evacuate even if ordered to do so.

The survey also revealed as many as a third of residents may not be adequately insured. One in three of those surveyed said its been three years or longer since they reviewed their insurance coverage and an equal number said they didn't have or weren't sure if they had replacement coverage. Given the huge growth in property values in many areas, these residents may not have adequate coverage to rebuild if they suffered catastrophic losses. In addition, more than half of those surveyed thought their insurance policies covered flood damage or weren't sure. In fact, homeowners only have flood protection if they have purchased federal flood insurance.

If you live on or near the coast or in a moderate to high risk flood area, it is inevitable that, at some point, your property will be damage by flooding at some point. Whether the flood damage is caused by hurricane or some other form of severe weather, you will need adequate insurance
coverage to fully recover. Now is the time to find out if you have the proper insurance coverage, not when a storm is blowing in.

Mason-Dixon Polling & Research surveyed 1,100 adults in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states between April 26 and May 2. The study has a margin for error of plus or minus 3%.

We'll continue to examine the survey results in the next Hurricane Watch.