With the advent of hurricane season, Governor Josh Stein joined forces with North Carolina's top emergency management officials to urge residents to take preemptive measures to ensure their safety. According to the Governor's Office, Stein and team emphasized the need for an actionable emergency plan, highlighting the unpredictability of the weather and the importance of being prepared in the face of potential disasters.
"As our state braces for hurricane season, I encourage North Carolinians be aware of emergency management warnings and resources so that they have a plan to stay safe in case of an emergency,” Governor Josh Stein stated, reinforcing his call to citizens to harness local and statewide resources to form solid emergency protocols, North Carolina's Director of Emergency Management Will Ray shared that individuals should compile an emergency kit, seek out multiple channels for severe weather alerts, and take necessary measures to safeguard their homes, as per the Governor's Office.
The preparedness efforts come on the heels of Governor Stein's focus on FEMA reform, as detailed in his op-ed published in USA Today last month. Stein proposes an overhaul aimed at more efficiently rebuilding impacted communities, streamlining aid applications for disaster survivors, and moving on from less effective reimbursement methods — recognizing the agency's crucial role in mitigating the damage wrought by natural disasters, especially as hurricanes threaten to wreak havoc yet again.
Residents are advised to take actionable steps immediately, including the assembly of an emergency kit equipped with essentials such as non-perishable food, water, medicine, and reliable communication devices, while considering the specific needs of all family members—including the elderly, children, those with disabilities, and pets, the importance of a family emergency plan is not to be understated, with Governor Stein suggesting arrangements for evacuation, communication, and safeguarding important documents, and knowing how to safely shut off utilities.
Community involvement was another key focus, with leaders advocating for participation in local emergency planning exercises and encouraging individuals to volunteer with organizations like the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) as a means of fortifying communal preparedness efforts. At every level, from personal households to the broader strokes of governmental agencies, the call to action is clear: North Carolinians must work in cohesion to weather the storm that lies ahead.
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