By: Jessica Shorten
The National Hurricane Center is watching an area of low pressure closely this week for a chance of development which could impact the Gulf of Mexico by next week.
With a 40% of formation into an organized storm over the next 48 hours, and an 80% chance of formation over the next five days, this storm is being monitored closely by weather officials. The area of low pressure is currently over northwestern Columbia in the Caribbean Sea.
While it is too early to predict where the storm could ultimately land, the National Hurricane Center is confident it will cross into the Yucatan Peninsula by Saturday and into the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday as it continues at a West-Northwest direction.
September is typically one of the busiest months in the Gulf for hurricane season, and now is the time to make sure you are adequately prepared for the possible.
Prepare For Hurricane Season
Understand that your planning may be different this year because of the need to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
Give yourself more time than usual to prepare your emergency food, water, and medicine supplies. Home delivery is the safest choice for buying disaster supplies; however, that may not be an option for everyone. If in-person shopping is your only choice, take steps to protect your and others’ health when running essential errands.
Protect yourself and others when filling prescriptions by limiting in-person visits to the pharmacy. Sign up for mail order delivery or call in your prescription ahead of time and use drive-through windows or curbside pickup. If available order a 60 or 90 day supply to have on hand.
Pay attention to local guidance about updated plans for evacuations and shelters, including potential shelters for your pets.
If you need to evacuate, prepare a “go kit” with personal items you cannot do without during an emergency. Include items that can help protect you and others from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer, or bar or liquid soap if not available, and two cloth face coverings for each person. Face covers should not be used by children under the age of 2. They also should not be used by people having trouble breathing, or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or unable to remove the mask without assistance.
When you check on neighbors and friends, be sure to follow social distancing recommendations (staying at least 6 feet, about 2 arms’ length, from others) and other CDC recommendations to protect yourself and others.
If you need to go to a disaster shelter, follow CDC recommendations for staying safe and healthy in a public disaster shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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