LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
In 2003, Hurricane Isabel swept through Virginia, leaving 32 fatalities and $1.9 billion in damages.
People can still see remnants of Isabel's damage here through the broken wooden piers left standing.
June 1 marked the beginning of the 2008 Hurricane season and a time for residents to be prepared if such severe weather strikes again.
It's important for Langley to be prepared for hurricane season because its location along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean makes it vulnerable to severe weather, said Staff Sgt. Neykia King, a 1st Civil Engineer Squadron readiness and emergency management journeyman.
The most important steps to take in preparation for a hurricane are to have an emergency kit and a solid emergency plan.
An emergency supply kit should include nonperishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and extra flashlights and batteries. People should also keep an emergency kit in their car, according to
www.ready.gov.
Planning is crucial to being prepared for a hurricane. Family and friends should know how to contact one another, how to get back together if separated, and what to do in different situations.
Checklists for emergency plans and supply kits are located on Langley's Web site, under the section titled "
Are You Prepared?"
Sergeant King also stated the importance of having flood and hurricane insurance.
"Residents think that any damages from a hurricane will be covered under hurricane insurance; however, any damages caused by flooding aren't covered, even if the flooding was caused by the hurricane," she said.
In addition, it's important to listen to local news and radio stations, said Airman 1st Class Tyler Deckard, a 1st CES emergency management flight specialist.
"All base information will be relayed through the radio, so don't rely on your neighbor," he said.
Emergency plans may differ for Air Force families because they cannot evacuate until the wing commander gives the evacuation order, said Airman Deckard.
Each squadron commander designates an emergency management representative. If there's a severe weather warning, the emergency management flight alerts the representative, who in turn notifies their respective squadrons.
"One of the biggest problems that Langley faced during Hurricane Isabel was evacuating people on base; we want to avoid that problem from happening again," said Sergeant King.
To help prevent future problems, the Langley Airman and Family Support Center will conduct an emergency hurricane awareness workshop June 6 at the base theater from 10 a.m. to noon. John Cash, a meteorologist from WAVY news channel 10 will be the guest speaker. There will also be a briefing on Langley evacuation procedures.
"Evacuation is mandatory, yet people think that they can buckle down and stay at home. When told to evacuate, it's vital to do so without delay," said Sergeant King.
For more information on hurricane preparedness, people can visit Langley's Web site, or contact their squadron emergency representative.