May 29, 2012
To the University Community:
“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”
This quote, often attributed to Mark Twain, is a funny way to state the obvious—we have no control over the weather.
What we can and must do is plan ahead and prepare for the unpredictable nature of weather—and in South Florida that means getting ready for hurricane season.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and runs through November 30, but as we’ve already seen with Tropical Storm Beryl, which hit the U.S. southeast coast this weekend, and Tropical Storm Alberto earlier this month, it’s never too soon to prepare ourselves at work and home for a possible strike.
Here are four things all of us can do to get ready:
- Build a Kit—this includes essential items—such as food, water, flashlight, radio, sanitizer, first aid kit, tools, important documents, and cash—to ensure your basic needs are met during the first 48-72 hours after a disaster.
- Make a Plan—develop a family emergency plan. Use the emergency information available at www.miami.edu/prepare as a guide on how you will get to a safe place, contact one another, get back together, and what you will do in different situations.
- Be Informed—know what to do before, during, and after an emergency. Update your contact information on MyUM. Click on “Personal, Address and Emergency/Evacuation Information” in the “Personal & Biographical Info” section. This is the best way for the University to keep in touch with you in case of an emergency. You can also provide information about where you will be staying if you need to evacuate your residence in the event of a hurricane.
- Get Involved—before a disaster strikes! Join the ’Canes Emergency Response Team (CERT) or the UHealth Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).
For comprehensive lists of steps you need to take at work and home before the storm, click here.
Don’t wait until the last minute. You can do a lot more than just talk about the weather—you can be prepared.
Play it safe—get ready!
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