Kids Get Ready For Hurricane Season And So Should You

As hurricane season gets closer, Ready Georgia teaches every Georgian how to prepare

(ATLANTA) Flashlight, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable food, a local map. These are just a few of the items that students from the Atlanta New Century School found all over the Atlanta Botanical Gardens today as Ready Georgia and The Home Depot hosted a new kind of scavenger hunt to help them get prepared for hurricane season, which begins on June 1.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency, which runs the Ready Georgia campaign, knows that it only takes one hurricane or major storm to devastate a community; therefore, GEMA encourages every citizen—including children—to turn to Ready Georgia to learn how to get ready now.

“Hurricane season is just around the corner, and the time to prepare is not immediately before a storm; it’s before the season starts,” said Charley English, GEMA and Homeland Security director. “By having a Ready kit, an evacuation plan and other pertinent information, you can help mitigate the effects of a hurricane should one hit our state.”

And if kids can do it, so can you. Getting ready for hurricane season involves gathering just a few important items from around your house, your local home improvement store or your regular grocery store. They are affordable and easy to find and include things like garbage bags, a whistle and a first aid kit in addition to food, water, a NOAA weather radio and other small items.

“As students collected some of the items to build their Ready kits, they were also learning how those items can help them during a storm or other type of natural disaster, which provides a sense of safety and comfort for young children,“ said Mike Lamb, Vice President of Asset Protection at The Home Depot.

GEMA also suggests discussing options with children and other family members to determine what will happen in case of a hurricane or an evacuation. Citizens need to familiarize themselves with the terms that are used to identify a hurricane, such as hurricane watch and hurricane warning, and review your evacuation route, something 70 percent of Georgians have not done according to a 2007 survey.

This year, the National Safety Council has also declared June as National Safety Month, and June 2 through 6 as Emergency Preparedness Week, so there has never been a better time to get ready.

Ready Georgia can help every citizen take the necessary precautions to prepare for any type of manmade or natural disaster, including a hurricane or severe storm. By visiting the Web site at ready.ga.gov, Georgians have all the information they need to prepare, plan and stay informed for hurricane season. A complete list of Ready kit items is available, as well as a link to Ready Kids, where parents and children can learn more about emergency preparedness together

About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign. Ready Georgia aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for the 72 hours following an emergency, and uses an interactive Web site, online community toolkit, television and radio advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences. For more information visit www.ready.ga.gov.

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