The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season got under way last week, on June 1 to be exact, but a tropical storm waits for no man, or no calendar. Before June 1 ever rolled around, the Atlantic had already generated two tropical storms. Alberto and Beryl got into the act before their cue on the calendar. Alberto turned into a non-event, but Beryl gave residents of the Southeast a pretty good drenching from Florida to the Carolinas.
There is no cause-and-effect or predictive certainty about early-season tropical storms and the severity of hurricanes through the rest of the season, but these early arrivals should give everyone pause. Hurricane Irene caused severe damage to North Carolina coastal communities nine months ago, and many victims are still struggling to recover. Another storm on the N.C. coast would compound the misery of these struggling victims.
The Red Cross is doing two things to address this issue. Red Cross disaster relief personnel are taking a longer-term view of the people they help and will, when appropriate, become advocates for them with other agencies. Red Cross personnel are also participating in long-term recovery committees in several communities where those committees are active. Secondly, Red Cross Disaster Services is putting added emphasis on hurricane preparation in 2012. Shelter sites are being identified and contracted. Food providers are being asked to sign agreements to provide food during an emergency. And volunteers are being trained to operate the shelters that will become necessary if any substantial storm strikes the N.C. coast. Hurricane Irene prompted the largest sheltering operation in North Carolina since 1999 (Hurricane Floyd). The lesson learned is that the Red Cross must be even better prepared than it was last year, when the need for shelters far exceeded expectations.
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