Hurricane Season is Here: How Public Administrators Can Prepare

"Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.” – Sun Tzu

Every year, coastal communities across the country anticipate the arrival of hurricane season. Beginning June 1 and extending through November 30, the anxiety for many during this time can be exhausting – especially for public servants that are charged with leading their communities in their preparation, mitigation, and perhaps (unfortunately) their rebuilding efforts. June is ordinarily a calm time in tropical storm development. Which makes it the best time to prepare. Here are some things local officials can do to prepare their communities for hurricane season.

Renew Your Public Education Efforts

Awareness about the potential peril of tropical storm damage is a powerful tool for planners and local officials. Hurricane season is a well-known time of year for coastal communities. Take advantage of this and bolster outreach and education efforts you might have waiting on your shelf. Education your citizens about evacuation routes, sandbagging locations, and local shelters if those are known in advance. It also might be a good idea to remind your population about past storm impacts. While uncomfortable for many, individuals and households at risk of storm damage likely better understand their risk in the context of past loss.

Prepare Your “Off the Shelf” Plans

If you have ever dealt with extensive clean up or long-term recovery efforts, you are familiar with the mountain of items you need to complete in order to respond effectively. Now is the time to get your procurements ready for common things you might need – debris removal and monitoring, planning services, grant administration, and so on. These plans should be ready in advance so that you do not have to draft them while dealing with the stress of your community’s recovery. The more you prepare now, the faster and more effective your recovery can be.

Make Introductions (Or Reintroductions)

Disaster recovery is a team sport. Connect or reconnect with local stakeholders that will be there on the front lines as well as those that will be in supporting roles. These include your local law enforcement, hazard mitigation officials, state and local elected officials, and others. Disasters are an “all hands on deck” situation and the more familiar you are with these teams, the better you will perform in the moment. This is also a great time to work on drills and table top exercises to prepare for disaster.

There is no wasted effort in the “calm before the storm.” Take advantage of these moments to get as prepared as possible. Unfortunately for many, the reality is that there will be a major disaster somewhere in the United States this year. Preparing now can make the difference between a slow start or a rapid, expert response to disaster.