Building resilience: It's Hurricane Preparedness Week
WASHINGTON, DC—This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week. The week was designated by the National Weather Service to promote the importance of safety during hurricane season. One of our agency’s core values is safety, and I encourage all employees to be ready for hurricane season. For those who live or work in areas where hurricanes occur, take time to make a plan, prepare for impacts and be informed. For those who reside outside of these areas, it is a good reminder that other natural disasters and man-made hazards exist, and emergencies and disasters can occur anywhere.
Each year seems to bring natural disasters of increasing intensity and duration, which may impact you, your family and friends. In 2020, we experienced a record fire season, the global coronavirus pandemic, 30 named tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and other emergencies that affected our nation’s forests and grasslands. The 2020 hurricane season was listed as the most active to date and was the fifth most costly Atlantic hurricane season ever recorded.
The traditional hurricane season is June 1 through Nov. 30. The 2020 hurricane season was exceptionally active due to the early formation of Tropical Storm Arthur on May 16; the movement of Tropical Storm Amanda from the East Pacific, which regenerated into Tropical Storm Cristobal in the Atlantic between May and June; and ended with Hurricane Iota, which gained Category 5 intensity and dissipated on Nov. 18. Like wildland fires, these tropical storms are also occurring outside of the timeline in their traditional season.
Specific to the Forest Service, the 2020 Atlantic storm season generated 12 named storms that directly impacted national forests and grasslands in 15 states. Pre-season Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in South Carolina at the Francis Marion National Forest in May. Hurricane Laura made landfall in August as a Category 4 storm in Louisiana and passed directly over parts of the Kisatchie National Forest, where just weeks later, Hurricane Delta again brought wind, rain and flooding to the area. September brought Hurricane Sally’s windward side impacted Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. October brought Hurricane Zeta to the De Soto National Forest in Mississippi.
The lessons we have learned from storms like Hurricanes Irma and Maria show us that preparedness works. Our employees from across the agency, including those on El Yunque National Forest, the International Institute of Tropical Forestry and the Southern Research Station, know the devastation of these storms and the potential for a long recovery. Many of you leave your homes and loved ones to provide critical response efforts during these natural disasters and other incidents.
As our employees, you are our greatest resource. I encourage you to make safety a priority and take steps to be prepared.
- The agency has already developed employee resources to support you through Operation Care and Recovery.
- Take time to review your work location’s Occupant Emergency Plan and update local contact lists to stay informed.
- Review the materials provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Hurricane Preparedness.
- Visit Ready.gov to make a plan, get involved and look at resources to build resilience.
- Please continue to follow CDC and your local public health authority’s guidance to protect yourself, as well as your family and friends, from COVID-19.
- Please visit the agency’s emergency management SharePoint page on emergency preparedness and response (internal link) for more information.
The lessons we have learned from storms like Hurricanes Irma and Maria show us that preparedness works. Our employees from across the agency, including those on El Yunque National Forest, the International Institute of Tropical Forestry and the Southern Research Station, know the devastation of these storms and the potential for a long recovery. Many of you leave your homes and loved ones to provide critical response efforts during these natural disasters and other incidents.