FOUR COUNTY EMC ENCOURAGES MEMBERS TO PREPARE AS 2018 HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS
May 31st, 2018
Four County EMC is encouraging its members to prepare now for this year�s hurricane season, which officially begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a near- or above-normal 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. They predict a 70-percent chance of 10 to 16 named storms of which five to nine could become hurricanes, including one to four major hurricanes. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
Four County EMC is prepared to respond in the event that severe weather impacts its service territory, which includes Bladen, Duplin, Pender, Sampson and a small portion of Columbus and Onslow counties. Co-op members are encouraged to prepare now by taking simple steps in advance of storms that could affect the state and region this hurricane season:
· Outline a communications and evacuation plan for your family before a hurricane or storm warning is issued to minimize confusion and fear. If you have pets or any livestock, include them in your plan.
· Create an emergency kit that includes:
o Important documents sealed in a watertight plastic bag
o Cash
o Three days’ worth of non-perishable food, water and medication
o First-aid kit
o Battery-powered radio
o Flashlight
o Extra batteries
o Personal hygiene items
o Extra clothes and blankets
o Food and other supplies for pets
· Sign up for local weather alerts and warnings.
· Follow Four County EMC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fourcty.org/ and Twitter Twitter.com/Fourcty to stay informed about weather, outages and other information.
· Bookmark the cooperative’s live online outage map to find real-time outage information: https://gis.fourcty.org/pub/map.html.
· Review storm safety tips and information at http://www.fourcty.org/index.php?p=11&s=64.
In the event of a power interruption, members should report outages by calling 1-888-368-7289. Members are also reminded to never go near downed power lines.
For more information and safety tips, visit www.fourcty.org.