Hurricane season in full swing: Are you ready?

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katherine Holt
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MacDill AFB, Fla --  With the successful Unit Compliance Inspection behind us, and hurricane season in its peak, it is time to prepare. 

"Individual and family preparedness is the individual's responsibility and not the government's duty," said Mr. Larry Clark, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron installation emergency manager. "The government will provide you the informational resources to help in making planning decisions, but in the end it is on you." 

Each county in the Tampa Bay area has prepared hurricane guides to assist in preparing for hurricanes. Guides can be picked up from unit emergency management representatives or the emergency management flight. 

According to Mr. Clark, there are steps that can be taken to ensure preparedness for a hurricane: 

- Ensure you have good insurance and read the fine print - consider renter's insurance or homeowners insurance, as appropriate, and flood insurance, if needed. 

- Make sure every member of the family is aware of family plans and knows what to do. 

- Gather and prepare your important documents (Marriage licenses, birth certificates, insurance policies, financial records) for evacuation or protection. Place them in a portable water-proof container for ready evacuation. 

- Whether you ride the storm out at home or you evacuate, plan to be self sufficient for up to 14 days. Stock non-perishable foods, prescription drugs, and two gallons of water a day per person. 

- Never become complacent because the official forecast shows the storm headed somewhere else - you never know what a hurricane is going to do until after it does it. 

On average, MacDill AFB gets hit by a tropical storm or hurricane every four years. The last major hurricane to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area was in October 1921. This storm produced a 10.5 foot surge in the bay and caused extensive damage.

MacDill uses a system of Hurricane Conditions to warn of the local threat of existing hurricanes. As the storm gets closer, the base will gradually increase the degree of readiness and implement planned response actions as necessary.

"Evacuations are normally ordered during HURCON 3 - with an in place time of no later than 12 hours before landfall," said Mr. Clark. 

Depending on the size of the storm, personnel may be evacuating to their safe house or to their safe haven. 

"Evacuations could start with the voluntary evacuation of dependents," said Mr. Clark. "But servicemembers must remember that if they evacuate prior to the order, they will not be entitled to reimbursement for any period before the order is issued."

The time to prepare is now. For further information on how to prepare contact the emergency management office at 828-4321.