September is National Preparedness Awareness Month

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - National preparedness awareness month comes at the perfect time. No matter where you live you are prone to natural disasters. Tropical storm Fred and Hurricane Ida brought impacts to our region over the last month. With 88 days left in the hurricane season and the peak of the season just one week away, now is the time to re-check your hurricane kits and disaster plans to make sure you have everything you need to be prepared if disaster strikes.

We talked with Tallahassee’s National Weather Service Meteorologist Wright Dobbs for his take on tropical preparations. “Some seasons you are lucky and you don’t get anything, and other seasons like 2018 you get a season like what we got with Hurricane Michael. The best thing is to be prepared for all scenarios every season.”

Another thing to consider is what we do after the storm. What do we have in our kits to help us? We should have: batteries, flashlights, water, non-perishable foods, portable cell phone chargers, and a first aid kit.

We talked with Brad Greer, CEO of DrySee on some of the key items that should be in your first aid kit. “Bandages, dressing, antimicrobials, antiseptics, gloves, pain relievers, aspirin, etc., even blankets depending on temperature.”

He expresses the importance of having this kit and being prepared for when disaster hits. “ Well, it’s critically important in hurricane season. I was not prepared with supplies or gear or apparel, so I got staph infection on my calf; had to go to the emergency room and have a drip antibiotic. Flood waters are dirty, murky, filled with toxicants, chemicals, pathogens, and disease.”

“ The best thing you can do is prepare early, and another thing is every storm is different. Keep in mind that whatever you experience for one storm doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be prepared for this storm coming, " NWS Meteorologist Wright Dobb said.

The peak of hurricane is September 10th and runs through November 30th.

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