Storm Season – Are You Ready?

“Hurricane season” — words that conjure images of boarded up storefronts and sideways rain. They strike fear in people in the Gulf, but not often in New England.

Then there was Irene.

“That storm packed quite a punch,” said 2nd Assistant Chief Bob Norton of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. “When it was all said and done, hundreds of man hours were put in by Fire Company members. It stretched our resources thin, but we responded to every call for help.”

Connecticut residents spent days, and weeks, without power in wake of Hurricane Irene – the Atlantic's first hurricane of 2011 – downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it made landfall on August 27. Haddam residents hunkered down. Weeks of warning prompted many to prepare storm kits and keep extra supplies on hand.

I wasn’t one of them.

Midwest born and bred, I’ve seen my share of tornadoes, a summer attraction like a state fair, only slightly less scary. Winters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were hardly less harrowing, averaging 200 or more inches of snow.

When I heard that we were in the path of a big, bad storm, my “we’ll see” attitude kicked in. Too many “Nor’easters” have been overhyped and I’ve gritted my teeth too many times when schools are cancelled over a couple inches of snow. I don’t get worked up and I don’t understand the fear that makes a person stockpile a month’s worth of bread. “Hurricane” had the familiar sound of panic that keeps grocery stores in busineses.

I was wrong. Irene had bite: uprooting trees, tearing down limbs, making roads impassable and knocking out power. 800,000 people were in the dark. It wasn’t the Storm of the Century, it wasn’t a tragedy, but it was an inconvenience – the creek behind our house became our fresh water supply. It was also one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.

Irene exposed a need for people to take better precautions. That’s why the Federal Emergency Management Agency is making September, which typically kicks off the hurricane season, National Preparedness Month. FEMA is asking all Americans to “Pledge to Prepare.” Visit http://community.fema.gov and fill out a quick form to become part of the National Preparedness Coalition. You will be connected to a national community of people who are committing themselves to prepare and coordinate preparedness activities in September for families, neighbors, co-workers and church groups. Coalition members have access to step-by-step preparedness guides, public service announcements, messaging and other helpful resources.

The Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. tries to set a good example. It maintains a year-round state of readiness to handle emergencies. When a bad storm is coming, resources are inventoried, supplies are re-stocked and plans are made to have coverage throughout town in case travel becomes difficult. Officers stay in close contact with other town and state agencies to handle emergencies that can quickly become complex.

“We take many steps to prepare for a storm, and we encourage Haddam residents do their part by pledging to prepare with FEMA,” said Haddam Fire Chief Gary Klare.

Klare added that the risks that our town may face typically increase during a hurricane or tropical storm. Beyond flooded basements and downed trees, emergency responders dispatched to routine medical calls may be delayed if roads are impassable and driveways can’t be accessed. Lifestar will not fly during bad weather. Structure fires requiring out of town mutual aid may be seriously impacted depending on storm intensity in our nearby communities.

Town residents can plan to be more self-sufficient by creating a storm supply kit and a family emergency plan. Details are on the FEMA website.

With Hurricane Isaac in the books and a new Tropical Storm being named every week, it promises to be a busy storm season. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center recently increased their expected count of tropical storms and hurricanes. Forecasters believe that the second half of the season could prove busy despite an expected El Nino. NOAA’s updated seasonal outlook now projects a total of 12 to 17 named storms, including five to eight hurricanes. Of those, two or three could be major hurricanes.

If last year’s wacky weather was any indication, I’d say that sounds about right.  Two months after Tropical Storm Irene dissipated, a freak October snowstorm dumped two feet of snow in parts of the state and left nearly 750,000 people without power – again.

By then I had “pledged to prepare,” right down to the fresh flashlight batteries and bottled water. I even brushed off that Midwest chip on my shoulder and bought an extra loaf of bread.

More information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved can be found on our website – www.HaddamFire.com.