Workshop helps Rattlers get ready for hurricanes

Hurricane Ida caused massive flooding in southeastern Louisiana. Photo courtesy: nola.com

Are you ready for a hurricane?  Have you taken the time to go through a checklist of items needed to endure days without power?

Florida A&M wants you to be prepared, and Tuesday the university offered a workshop to help Rattlers know how to be prepared in a hurry if a hurricane is bearing down on wherever they are.

It’s currently peak hurricane season, which generally goes through Thanksgiving. We’ve already witnessed the destruction in southeast Louisiana last month as a result of Hurricane Ida.

Tuesday’s workshop was part of a series called “Tuesday Evening Talks.” Kimberly Davis, FAMU’s extension disaster specialist, hosts them virtually on Zoom. Every Tuesday Davis chooses a significant topic to inform and enlighten the community.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami has predicted that we will have a few more hurricanes this fall. Davis said she thought it was best to use this week’s Tuesday talk to retouch on the importance of preparing for a hurricane.

As we all know, a hurricane is basically a large thunderstorm that can form tornadoes or cause massive flooding, landslides or debris flow.

While going through a slideshow Davis gave a few tips on different areas that are all important in the stages of getting ready for a hurricane at the last minute. They included:

-Knowing and understanding severe storm terminology

-Monitoring the situation

-Having a plan

-Getting your emergency kit ready

-Preparing for loss of power

-Having water and Ice

-Preparing the exterior of home for extreme winds and debris

“Being knowledgeable in all of these areas will help someone be prepared for a disaster at any time no matter where they are,” Davis said. “It also helps reduce stress and anxiety when someone is completely prepared.”

Dreamal Worthen, who attended the workshop, says she found it useful and is more adequately prepared for the next hurricane.

“I tune in to all her workshops because she always has good and important things to say and I will be using these tips when another hurricane decides to form,” Worthen said.

As FAMU’s outreach arm, Extension uses its connections and resources to provide relief after disasters by supplying schools and community centers with the necessary tools. It also offers one-on-one educational counseling, assistance with documentation and comfort stations.

Davis encourages students and faculty members to continue joining her on Tuesdays when she will continue to find new topics to talk about every week.