OPINION: Get prepared for upcoming 2009 hurricane season

The first hurricane of the tropical storm season formed in the Atlantic Ocean, and a tropical storm hit the Florida panhandle during the weekend.

Welcome to the Hurricane Season 2009. Hold on to your hats and any other article of clothing you want to save!

By late Monday, hard rains and wind were hitting the Florida panhandle and Alabama coast from Tropical Storm Claudette. There’s a slight chance the storm could bring rain to the Carolinas this week.

Meanwhile, storm systems were beginning to line up in the Atlantic to the west African coast, including formation of Hurricane Bill. The first named hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season, Hurricane Bill appeared on target to hit Bermuda by Saturday.

The 2009 season comes during the 20th anniversary year of Hurricane Hugo’s devastation to South Carolina. Hugo hit Sept. 21, 1989, as a Category 4 hurricane and caused more than $7 billion in damage. At that point, Hugo was the most costly storm to hit the United States.

Hugo and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, which exceeded Hugo’s devastation, have taught residents in harm’s way not to hesitate in finding safety.

Three hurricane routes come through the Pee Dee from the South Carolina coast. U.S. 378 though Lake City, U.S. 501 through Marion and S.C. 9 through Dillon take residents from the coast and to inland areas. During an evacuation, a 23-mile stretch of U.S. 501 can be reversed to expedite traffic.

Each year, an average of 11 tropical storms develop over the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane season lasts from June 1 to Nov. 31, with most intensity seemingly in August and September.

Because of unpredictability and the quickly changing nature of tropical storms, we encourage readers to be prepared and vigilant.

Before a storm, the National Hurricane Center says, design a disaster plan and let family and friends know about it.

“It should include modifying your home to strengthen it against storms so that you can be as safe as possible,” the Hurricane Center says on its Web site. “It also includes having the supplies on hand to weather the storm. You should use common sense in your disaster prevention and keep a written plan and share your plan with other friends or family.”

During a storm, evacuate immediately, if asked, the National Hurricane Center says.

There’s little chance the Pee Dee would need to be evacuated. But during Hugo, the area was devastated by tornadoes, heavy rain and high winds.

“Unless you live in a coastal or low-lying area, an area that floods frequently, or in manufactured housing, it is unlikely that emergency managers will ask you to evacuate. That means that it is important for you and your family to have a plan that makes you as safe as possible in your home,” the Hurricane Center reports on its Web site.

Emergency officials in the Pee Dee have been prepared for hurricanes since Hugo. The American Red Cross is ready to set up temporary shelters and offer temporary assistance.

The important thing is for you to be ready. Make sure your family is safe.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).