Getting people prepared for Hurricane Season

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Living on the coast can be dangerous at times especially during Hurricane Season. Now that the season is officially underway the St. James community is doing its best to keep people informed and prepared.

The community held its annual Severe Storm Seminar at the St. James Community Center Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of people attended the seminar to get advice on what to do in case of a storm.

Organizers say their number one suggestion to people is to always have a plan.

Last year Hurricane Matthew devastated cities and towns across the Cape Fear and across the entire state. Many areas are still recovering and being prepared for natural disasters is just one step to keep you and your family safe.

“Well so many people haven’t ever experienced a hurricane,” St. James Emergency Management Team Director, Mary Nash said. “With everybody coming in from different areas and they don’t know what to do, what to expect, where they’re going to go, what kind of paperwork they’re going to need. So it’s important to get prepared so that you can get out if it’s necessary.”

That is the main reason St. James hosts the seminar every year.

“Our goal is to make sure people are prepared and that they have a plan,” Brunswick County Emergency Services Deputy Director, Scott Garner said. “We want to make sure that they have supplies to take care of themselves for at least three days. And make sure that they know where they need to evacuate to, when they need to evacuate. And just generally what they should do if we become threatened with a hurricane or one does affect us.”

The seminar had several guest speakers including first responders followed by a fair with vendors of all kinds to answer all storm related questions. It is an event residents like David Goudy say is very helpful, especially for new people moving to the area.

“These kinds of events are very good because you get a true understanding of how devastating the storms can be and what you can do to, you know, minimize your home loss as well as your life,” Goudy said.

The event even had the Emergency Operations Center up and running to show people what goes on when tracking storms.

Emergency responders suggest always having water, non-perishable foods, a way to open those foods and any medication or important documents you need handy in case of a storm.