Hurricane readiness: Fort Bragg prepares for active hurricane season

By Reginald Rogers
Paraglide

May 26, 2011

Wednesday marks the beginning of the hurricane season and forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting an “above-normal” season for 2011.
According NOAA’s prediction, on Monday, the Atlantic basin in which North Carolina is located, can expect from 12 to 18, named storms. Of those storms, six to 10 could become hurricanes, with three to six becoming major hurricanes (category three to five).

This year’s prediction for named storms means that the Atlantic coast could exceed the seasonal average of 11.

Hurricane season generally runs through Nov. 30 for the Atlantic region and although Fort Bragg is not located on the coast, the area is close enough to experience hurricane force winds and severe rain.

Fort Bragg has fared well in past hurricane seasons, but officials are not taking any chances as preparations begin for the upcoming season.

“The east coast is prone to hurricanes,” said Calvin McKenzie, who works at the Directorate of Plans, Training and Mobilization. “It’s important that you have a plan to ensure that you’re not left in the cold. A hurricane can cause devastation worst than what we saw during the April 16 tornadoes that affected our area.

“In the event that your home is affected by the hurricane, it’s important to have a kit with your critical paperwork in it. It’s also important to make a plan so that you’ll know exactly where to go in the event something like that should happen,” McKenzie said.

He said community members should also create a communication plan to notify Family members or loved ones in other towns or states, of your whereabouts. McKenzie said it’s equally important to let your chain-of-command know that you’re safe following a major storm.

“The best way to do that is to identify a local person as a contact and a distant person, someone who is outside the state,” he explained. “Place that in your communication plan, so that if the Family is separated, as in the spouse is here and the husband is deployed, that husband knows that if something has happened at Fort Bragg, I can call (the designated contact person) in California and they can let him that his spouse is alright.”

He said based on last year’s statistics, the number of actual hurricanes exceeded the number predicted by NOAA and this year may be no different.

He pointed out that any preparedness kit should contain enough food, water and supplies to sustain each person for up to three days.

“Just about every type of severe weather can come from hurricanes, so again, it’s important that residents have a kit,” he said. “The kit is not just for hurricanes, it’s for any kind of severe weather disaster.”

A severe weather is planned exercise for noon Friday to test the post’s mass notification system. Installation severe weather procedures will also be reviewed and validated.

In addition to the MNS’s giant voice speaker system, residents may also receive information from various sources, such as the marquee boards near the gates, the post’s AM radio station and the Fort Bragg TV station (Channel 7).

“All of these elements make up the mass notification system and all of these elements are in place to alert the public,” McKenzie said.

He said the post is installing a telephone alert system that will alert the chain-of-command, who will then alert the troops.

“There are a number of products, such as the Fort Bragg Facebook page, the Nixle website and a NOAA weather radio, that have proven to be helpful in alerting the community about approaching severe weather systems.

In September 2008, the Army launched its Ready Army program, as a means to better inform and prepare Soldiers, their Families, Army civilians, contractors and retirees in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

Another important, but sometimes overlooked, preparedness plan is to establish evacuation routes before that storm.

For more information about Ready Army and hurricane preparedness, go to www.acsim.army.mil/readyarmy.

For information on the Fort Bragg readiness page, Ready Bragg, go to http://www.bragg.army.mil/Directorates/Ready-Bragg.aspx.

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