By Forum Staff
The City Office of Emergency Management on Friday marked the beginning of Atlantic hurricane season by launching a new phase of the Know Your Zone campaign, including video public service announcements that emphasize the power of preparing for hurricanes by knowing the possible hazards, having a plan, and staying informed.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2018 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, forecasters are predicting a near or above-normal season. NOAA’s forecasters predict a 70-percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms of which five to nine could become hurricanes (winds of 74+ mph), including one to four major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5; winds of 111+ mph).
According to the City, residents should take these steps to prepare for the start of hurricane season:
• Know your zone: Find out whether you live in one of the city’s six hurricane evacuation zones. Use the Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder at nyc.gov/knowyourzone or call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115) to find out if your address is located in an evacuation zone. If you live in an evacuation zone, have a plan for where you will go if an evacuation order is issued for your area.
• Know what to do: Make a plan so you know what to do, how to find each other, and how to communicate if a hurricane strikes. Use the Ready New York: My Emergency Plan at nyc.gov/myemergencyplan, or use the Ready NYC mobile application available for smartphones and tablets, OEM noted.
• Stay informed: Sign up for Notify NYC to receive free emergency notifications and updates via email, phone, SMS/text, or Twitter. Messages are also available in American Sign Language. Get the free mobile application, visit NYC.gov/notifynyc, call 311, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.
The administration also noted that Know Your Zone advertisements will be displayed on bus shelters and Link NYC kiosks and will run in newspapers throughout the five boroughs beginning in June. Through the Know Your Zone campaign, OEM indicated that it aims to reach the roughly three million New Yorkers living within the city’s hurricane evacuation zones.
Areas of the city subject to storm surge flooding are divided into six evacuation zones(1 through 6) based on risk of storm surge flooding. The City may order residents to evacuate depending on a hurricane’s track and projected storm surge.
Additionally, OEM has released the 2018 edition of the “Ready New York: Hurricanes and New York City” guide, available in print and in 13 languages and audio format. The guide offers instructions for preparing an emergency plan, and features a map of the city’s six hurricane evacuation zones and a list of hurricane evacuation centers in all five boroughs. Visit nyc.gov/knowyourzone to download the guide, or call 311 to request a copy.
“Start preparing for hurricane season now so you’ll be ready long before a hurricane threatens New York City,” said NYC OEM Commissioner Joseph Esposito.
For more information, visit plannownyc.cityofnewyork.us.
Courtesy of NOAA
