Atlantic Hurricane Season Underway, Here's How To Be Prepared

The Atlantic hurricane season officially gets underway today and runs through November 30 and there's a few things you can do now in the event a storm of any scale comes our way this year.

It's hard to tell right now if and how many hurricanes or superstorms will head towards New Jersey at this point but the NOAA is predicting a possible 14 named storms with half as many becoming hurricanes, Matthew Rosencrans, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, previously explained to Townsquare Media News.

Some of the preparation you would take for a intense thunderstorm or nor'easter is about the same for a hurricane/superstorm but on a smaller scale.

Remove all loose items from outside, make sure you have a working flashlight and lots of batteries, charge all electronic devices, make sure there's enough of the necessities such as food and water.

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The Red Cross recommends putting together an emergency preparedness list, creating a household evacuation plan, staying informed and knowing how to get and stay in touch with family if you're separated.

Locally, SUEZ Water Director of Operations Jim Mastrokalos recommends testing backup generators, ensuring water storage facilities are full and maintaining an extra supply of water treatment compounds, something they do as well.

“Our teams closely monitor the weather and will be prepared to make any adjustments necessary to maintain residents’ water quality and service, the integrity of our water treatment plants or supply dams and precious water supplies. When the National Weather Service predicts a storm, our goal is to respond as quickly as possible to all emergency situations that may arise, rapidly restore any disrupted services and keep the water flowing," Mastrokalos said in a statement.

SUEZ officials also work closely with local emergency response teams to coordinate emergency preparation and response activities.

“Many local agencies and organizations team together with SUEZ to prepare for hurricanes and other severe storms,” Mastrokalos said. “We also urge our customers be weather ready by checking personal emergency preparedness plans now, before an emergency strikes. While SUEZ will always to do its best to maintain service during an emergency, we encourage our customers to store extra tap water in clean, food-grade storage containers."

To ensure water safety and quality, Mastrokalos said that you should clean containers thoroughly with soap and water, then rinse with clean water and sealed with original tops before filling up.

FEMA also has some very important tips and advice for storm and hurricane preparation.