Start of Hurricane Season is a Reminder to Prepare<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/MEMA-Hurricane-Preparedness-2020.jpg?resize=676%2C338&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFRAMINGHAM\n\u2013<\/strong> This week marks the official\nstart of the Atlantic Hurricane Season which runs through November\n30th. While the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that have\nimpacted New England occurred during the months of August and September, now is\nthe time to begin preparing yourself, your family, your home, and your\nbusiness. Throughout hurricane season, the Massachusetts Emergency\nManagement Agency (MEMA) will share preparedness information to help residents\nbe aware of, and prepare for, the impacts of tropical storms and hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile\ncontinuing to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Massachusetts\nEmergency Management Agency remains committed to ensuring the Commonwealth is\nprepared for other disasters including hurricanes and tropical storms. As\nhurricane season begins, MEMA is actively planning for how to respond to\ndisasters while considering the public health challenges of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)\nseasonal outlook predicts an above normal number of hurricanes this season.\nRegardless of the seasonal forecast, it only takes one storm to make landfall\nand severely impact an area. Tropical Storm Irene, which produced\ndevastating flooding in Central and Western Massachusetts in 2011, is a\nreminder that hurricanes and tropical storms can impact many areas of the\nCommonwealth, not just coastal regions, and that all Massachusetts residents\nneed to prepare for the possibility of hurricane impacts. To learn more about\nthe hazards associated with hurricanes and tropical storms, visit MEMA\u2019s\nhurricane webpage: www.mass.gov\/mema\/hurricanes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe coronavirus public health emergency won\u2019t stop the threat of hurricanes, and in many ways makes responding to other disaster even more challenging. We have adjusted our planning to ensure that we are prepared and want residents to be prepared, as well,\u201d said MEMA Director Samantha Phillips. \u201cThe beginning of hurricane season is a great opportunity for all residents of the Commonwealth to learn if they live in a hurricane evacuation zone, make an emergency plan, assemble an emergency kit, and stay informed. This is especially true for the 2020 hurricane season as we continue to manage the complexity of COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MEMA Hurricane Season\nPreparedness Activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nMEMA is working closely with the Department of Public Health\nand the newly established Pandemic Disaster Mass Care Working Group to develop\nguidance for evacuations and mass care during COVID-19. This guidance will be\nprovided to municipalities to inform their planning and preparedness for\nhurricane season and will be used to adjust the Commonwealth\u2019s mass care and\nevacuation plans to help keep individuals both safe and healthy during a\ndisaster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working in partnership with the Emergency\nSupport Function Team and with local partners some of the steps MEMA is taking\nto prepare for the 2020 hurricane season during COVID-19 include re-evaluating\ncapacities of state-initiated regional shelter sites; preparing for the need\nfor additional evacuation transportation vehicles; adding screening,\nsanitization, disinfection, and general public health protocols to existing\nmass care plans; and planning for and preparing to provide sheltering in\nnon-congregate settings such as hotels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Know Your Evacuation Zone<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nMassachusetts has defined hurricane evacuation zones,\ndesignated as Zone A, Zone B and Zone C, for areas of the state at risk for\nstorm surge flooding associated with tropical storms or hurricanes. If\nevacuations are necessary because of a tropical storm or hurricane, local or\nstate officials will notify people living, working, or vacationing in\nevacuation zones to leave the area for their safety. Even areas not directly\nalong a coastline may be at risk for storm surge flooding during a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. Find out if you live, work, or vacation in a hurricane\nevacuation zone by visiting the \u2018Know Your Zone\u2019 interactive map located on\nMEMA\u2019s website at www.mass.gov\/knowyourzone<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nMake an Emergency Plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nDevelop a plan with the members of your household to prepare\nfor what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. An emergency plan should include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Meeting Locations<\/li>
- Emergency Contact Information<\/li>
- Evacuation Plans<\/li>
- Shelter-in-Place Plans<\/li>
- Considerations for Family Members with Access and Functional Needs, and Pets<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
For more information, see: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/make-a-family-emergency-plan<\/a>. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\nBuild an Emergency Kit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nBuild an emergency kit containing items that will sustain\nyou and your family in the event you are isolated for three to five days\nwithout power or unable to go to a store. Emergency kits are particularly\nimportant during hurricane season, due to potential extended power outages,\nflooding, and impassable debris-covered roads. While it is important to\ncustomize your kit to meet the unique needs of you and your family, every\nemergency kit should include bottled water, food, a flashlight, a radio and\nextra batteries, a first aid kit, sanitation items, and clothing. Depending on\nyour family\u2019s needs, emergency kits should also include medications, extra\neyeglasses, medical equipment and supplies, children\u2019s items such as diapers\nand formula, food and supplies for pets and service animals, and other items\nyou or your family members might need during a disaster. For a complete emergency\nkit checklist, visit: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/build-an-emergency-kit<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nStay Informed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nReceiving advance warnings and timely emergency alerts and\ninformation from public officials is critical to staying safe during a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. Every family should have multiple methods for receiving\nemergency alerts. Learn more about different types of alerting and information\ntools including the Emergency Alert System, Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA\nWeather Radio, Social Media & Traditional Media, 2-1-1 Hotline, Local\nNotification Systems: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/be-informed-and-receive-emergency-alerts<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nAbout MEMA<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nMEMA is the state agency charged with ensuring the state is\nprepared to withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies\nand disasters, including natural hazards, accidents, deliberate attacks, and\ntechnological and infrastructure failures. MEMA’s staff of professional\nplanners, communications specialists and operations and support personnel is\ncommitted to an all hazards approach to emergency management. By building and\nsustaining effective partnerships with federal, state and local government\nagencies, and with the private sector – individuals, families, non-profits and\nbusinesses – MEMA ensures the Commonwealth’s ability to rapidly recover from\nlarge and small disasters by assessing and mitigating threats and hazards,\nenhancing preparedness, ensuring effective response, and strengthening our\ncapacity to rebuild and recover. For additional information about MEMA and\nEmergency Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov\/mema<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nContinue to follow MEMA updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com\/MassEMA<\/a>;\nFacebook at www.facebook.com\/MassachusettsEMA<\/a>;\nYouTube at www.youtube.com\/MassachusettsEMA<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"See the following June 4 press release from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins Start of Hurricane Season is a Reminder to Prepare FRAMINGHAM \u2013 This week marks the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season which runs through November 30th. While the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that have … Continue reading MEMA News: 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","no-featured-image"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1487"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1500,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions\/1500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFRAMINGHAM\n\u2013<\/strong> This week marks the official\nstart of the Atlantic Hurricane Season which runs through November\n30th. While the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that have\nimpacted New England occurred during the months of August and September, now is\nthe time to begin preparing yourself, your family, your home, and your\nbusiness. Throughout hurricane season, the Massachusetts Emergency\nManagement Agency (MEMA) will share preparedness information to help residents\nbe aware of, and prepare for, the impacts of tropical storms and hurricanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While\ncontinuing to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Massachusetts\nEmergency Management Agency remains committed to ensuring the Commonwealth is\nprepared for other disasters including hurricanes and tropical storms. As\nhurricane season begins, MEMA is actively planning for how to respond to\ndisasters while considering the public health challenges of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)\nseasonal outlook predicts an above normal number of hurricanes this season.\nRegardless of the seasonal forecast, it only takes one storm to make landfall\nand severely impact an area. Tropical Storm Irene, which produced\ndevastating flooding in Central and Western Massachusetts in 2011, is a\nreminder that hurricanes and tropical storms can impact many areas of the\nCommonwealth, not just coastal regions, and that all Massachusetts residents\nneed to prepare for the possibility of hurricane impacts. To learn more about\nthe hazards associated with hurricanes and tropical storms, visit MEMA\u2019s\nhurricane webpage: www.mass.gov\/mema\/hurricanes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe coronavirus public health emergency won\u2019t stop the threat of hurricanes, and in many ways makes responding to other disaster even more challenging. We have adjusted our planning to ensure that we are prepared and want residents to be prepared, as well,\u201d said MEMA Director Samantha Phillips. \u201cThe beginning of hurricane season is a great opportunity for all residents of the Commonwealth to learn if they live in a hurricane evacuation zone, make an emergency plan, assemble an emergency kit, and stay informed. This is especially true for the 2020 hurricane season as we continue to manage the complexity of COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n MEMA is working closely with the Department of Public Health\nand the newly established Pandemic Disaster Mass Care Working Group to develop\nguidance for evacuations and mass care during COVID-19. This guidance will be\nprovided to municipalities to inform their planning and preparedness for\nhurricane season and will be used to adjust the Commonwealth\u2019s mass care and\nevacuation plans to help keep individuals both safe and healthy during a\ndisaster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Working in partnership with the Emergency\nSupport Function Team and with local partners some of the steps MEMA is taking\nto prepare for the 2020 hurricane season during COVID-19 include re-evaluating\ncapacities of state-initiated regional shelter sites; preparing for the need\nfor additional evacuation transportation vehicles; adding screening,\nsanitization, disinfection, and general public health protocols to existing\nmass care plans; and planning for and preparing to provide sheltering in\nnon-congregate settings such as hotels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Massachusetts has defined hurricane evacuation zones,\ndesignated as Zone A, Zone B and Zone C, for areas of the state at risk for\nstorm surge flooding associated with tropical storms or hurricanes. If\nevacuations are necessary because of a tropical storm or hurricane, local or\nstate officials will notify people living, working, or vacationing in\nevacuation zones to leave the area for their safety. Even areas not directly\nalong a coastline may be at risk for storm surge flooding during a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. Find out if you live, work, or vacation in a hurricane\nevacuation zone by visiting the \u2018Know Your Zone\u2019 interactive map located on\nMEMA\u2019s website at www.mass.gov\/knowyourzone<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Develop a plan with the members of your household to prepare\nfor what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate in a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. An emergency plan should include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information, see: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/make-a-family-emergency-plan<\/a>. \n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Build an emergency kit containing items that will sustain\nyou and your family in the event you are isolated for three to five days\nwithout power or unable to go to a store. Emergency kits are particularly\nimportant during hurricane season, due to potential extended power outages,\nflooding, and impassable debris-covered roads. While it is important to\ncustomize your kit to meet the unique needs of you and your family, every\nemergency kit should include bottled water, food, a flashlight, a radio and\nextra batteries, a first aid kit, sanitation items, and clothing. Depending on\nyour family\u2019s needs, emergency kits should also include medications, extra\neyeglasses, medical equipment and supplies, children\u2019s items such as diapers\nand formula, food and supplies for pets and service animals, and other items\nyou or your family members might need during a disaster. For a complete emergency\nkit checklist, visit: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/build-an-emergency-kit<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Receiving advance warnings and timely emergency alerts and\ninformation from public officials is critical to staying safe during a tropical\nstorm or hurricane. Every family should have multiple methods for receiving\nemergency alerts. Learn more about different types of alerting and information\ntools including the Emergency Alert System, Wireless Emergency Alerts, NOAA\nWeather Radio, Social Media & Traditional Media, 2-1-1 Hotline, Local\nNotification Systems: https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/be-informed-and-receive-emergency-alerts<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n MEMA is the state agency charged with ensuring the state is\nprepared to withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies\nand disasters, including natural hazards, accidents, deliberate attacks, and\ntechnological and infrastructure failures. MEMA’s staff of professional\nplanners, communications specialists and operations and support personnel is\ncommitted to an all hazards approach to emergency management. By building and\nsustaining effective partnerships with federal, state and local government\nagencies, and with the private sector – individuals, families, non-profits and\nbusinesses – MEMA ensures the Commonwealth’s ability to rapidly recover from\nlarge and small disasters by assessing and mitigating threats and hazards,\nenhancing preparedness, ensuring effective response, and strengthening our\ncapacity to rebuild and recover. For additional information about MEMA and\nEmergency Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov\/mema<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Continue to follow MEMA updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com\/MassEMA<\/a>;\nFacebook at www.facebook.com\/MassachusettsEMA<\/a>;\nYouTube at www.youtube.com\/MassachusettsEMA<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" See the following June 4 press release from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins Start of Hurricane Season is a Reminder to Prepare FRAMINGHAM \u2013 This week marks the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season which runs through November 30th. While the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that have … Continue reading MEMA News: 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","no-featured-image"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1487"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1500,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions\/1500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/costepma\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}MEMA Hurricane Season\nPreparedness Activities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Know Your Evacuation Zone<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Make an Emergency Plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Build an Emergency Kit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Stay Informed<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
About MEMA<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n