Harlan Kirgan
Hurricane Florence is the first major hurricane of the 2018 and most likely it will not be last in a season that ends Nov. 30.
Lisa Vidrine, St. Landry Parish director of the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said, “We are at the peak of the season. We go until Nov. 30 so this is the most intense time.”
September is prime time for hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are still expecting the tropics to be active over the next couple of weeks and hopefully we will get some of those nice cool fronts that come through that keep those things steered away from us here in Louisiana,” Vidrine said.
In August, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predicted a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season.
“The likelihood of a near-normal season is now at 30 percent, and the chance of an above-normal season has dropped from 35 percent to 10 percent,” the report stated.
“NOAA predicts a total of 9-13 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater) of which 4-7 will become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), including 0-2 major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater).”
Vidrine said the best thing south Louisiana residents can do is to stay informed and prepared.
“Anything could happen, not just a hurricane,” she said.
“Everyone needs to be prepared throughout the year for anything,” she said.
Preparation includes gathering a disaster supply kit, safeguarding key documents and making plans for various scenarios from losing power to evacuating.
Vidrine noted the state’s motto is “Get a game plan.”
The state even has a website, getagameplan.org, which has disaster planning information. Disaster information also is available at gohsep.la.gov.