Preparing your organization for the 2021 hurricane season

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Holly Cook
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs

As we start the 2021 hurricane season it is important to not only prepare your family for possible storms but also your organization on Keesler.

Organizational leaders and emergency managers can do several things to get their personnel ready. Anything from tabletop exercises, weekly hurricane safety briefings and even just sitting down to discuss what hurricane season is can be done to get Air Force personnel prepared for any kind of natural disaster that can hit the Gulf Coast.

Topics discussed during hurricane tabletop exercises can include but aren’t limited to:

  • Who is mission essential during emergency situations
  • Each person’s role during hurricanes
  • Possible evacuation and where individuals will evacuate to
  • What each person should do in preparation for hurricanes
  • How to prepare your office or building to limit damage
  • Establishment of any emergency checklists

Units on base can also choose to make hurricane preparedness a part of regularly scheduled safety briefings. These briefings can include talking about basic safety tips, like watching out for large amounts of water while driving, where to get evacuation information for your area or even how to get items to assemble a hurricane survival kit.

Organizations can also hold a preparedness discussion. During these discussions you can give your personnel the following information:

  • How to make sure they have personal items ready
  • The difference between each hurricane condition level
  • Evacuation routes for individuals to use if they aren’t sheltering on base
  • Local shelters
  • How to keep accountability during and after the storm
  • How to stay financially ready if they need to evacuate
  • How to ensure their office building and homes are safe from receiving excessive damage
  • Making a record of personal property and government equipment at work
  • Where and how to receive information during and after the storm

For more information on how to keep your organization prepared for hurricane season, go to www.beready.af.mil, your base emergency management office or www.mdot.ms.gov/portal/hurricane_preparedness.