Ready . . . or not? Hurricane season has started and you had better be prepared.
The rains from over the last few weeks have erased the drought deficit in the Houston area thanks to one of the wettest Mays on record, according KHOU Ch. 11 meteorologist Mario Gomez. The area received 11.7 inches of rain in the last month, meaning there's a surplus of more than a half inch.
President Barack Obama is already urging Americans to prepare for hurricanes — and more. Obama says it is every citizen's responsibility to be prepared for emergencies and he is urging families and businesses to explore their options in terms of digital tools. The president touts new phone apps that can help plan evacuation routes, receive emergency alerts, detail power outages and locate gas stations.
Experts say it should be a relatively quiet season with only three to six hurricanes predicted, about half the average amount.
In Houston, thousands gathered at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Saturday for the 2014 Hurricane Workshop. At one of the largest preparedness events in the country, visitors spoke with vendors from around the nation who gave them information on how to protect their homes and provided them with preparedness guides. Patrons also heard emergency management experts' latest plans for evacuation routes along the coast.
Experts say it should be a relatively quiet season with only three to six hurricanes predicted, about half the average amount. KHOU's weather models are already projecting activity this week in the Bay of Campeche, a southern bay in the Gulf of Mexico, though.
Hurricane season begins today so be sure to check your evacuation route in case of emergency.
