Well Hello There Andrea!

Welcome to Coastal Georgia. It seems the wild weather patterns are here to stay for awhile. Yesterday it was announced that the first named storm of the season, Subtropical Storm Andrea is off the coast of Georgia. Andrea was said to be between Savannah, Georgia and Daytona Beach, Florida yesterday afternoon, and in no big hurry to go anywhere. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the coast line of Georgia and Florida. Both states are already experiencing beach erosions from the high waves.

While Andrea is a bit early to the party, she isn't expected to do much damage. She doesn't seem to be well organized. We are having high winds and the occasional sprinkle of thunderstorms here. Though we definitely need the rain, Andrea is not promising a great deal of it. She is on the other hand bringing in high winds that are not helping the fire fighters battle the wildfires in southeast Georgia and Florida.

Hurricane season official starts June 1 and ends November 30. While Andrea is here in May that is not as unusual as it sounds. Those dates are what man has set after studying when most hurricanes form. There have been a few that have formed earlier and some that have formed later. Nature doesn't always do what man wants or fall into the schedule we have set up for her.

Andrea being early though does mean she does not have as much warm water to get strength from. The Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Georgia is not as warm now as it would be say in July or August. This means that while Andrea is the first named storm of the season, she will more than likely not cause much impact.

It is a good reminder though that hurricane season is not far away. It is predicted that this year will be a particularly active season with seventeen named storms. Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 20-26, 2007. It is always a good thing to review your plans if you live in a hurricane prone area, and that is one thing that is stressed during Hurricane Preparedness Week.

The NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, stresses ten points in the Family Disaster Plan. These apply during a hurricane, or any other natural or man made disaster. Do you have all the points covered?

Number One - Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. This may include hurricane, flooding, tornados and such.

Number two - Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home. Keeping in mind that your home may not be the safest place and you may need to evacuate to another place in the community.

Number three - Determine escape routes and places to meet if you get separated from other family members.

Number four - Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact that all of your family knows and knows how to reach.

Number five - Make plans for your pets if you need to evacuate.

Number six - Post emergency numbers and make sure children know how and when to call 911.

Number seven - Check your insurance coverage. A lot of plans do not cover floods.

Number eight - Prepare your disaster supply kit. It should have medical supplies, bottled water, and other necessities. A list can be found here.

Number nine - Use an NOAA radio. Make sure it has fresh batteries. This will keep you informed as to weather conditions.

Number ten - Take first aid, CPR and disaster readiness classes.

You can never be to ready for a hurricane or other disaster. Take the steps to stay safe and keep your family safe. Andrea is just the first of the season. Are you ready?