WELCOME TO WEATHER THE STORM™

Weather The Storm™ is the creation of a concerned citizen (and Katrina survivor) who resided in flood-prone New Orleans, Louisiana. This site has helpful information to prepare you for severe weather-related conditions such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and winter storms.

As many of you already know, the 2005 hurricane season was extremely active with 27 named storms. There were 13 hurricanes and 7 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). There were storms as late as December 2005. Even though hurricane season usually begins June 1 and usually ends by November 30, there were five named storms by the second week of July- a first, and the last named tropical storm was Zeta which formed on December 30, 2005.

It appears that we are in a more severe hurricane weather cycle which may continue for the next 15 years, if not more. We really do not know how long this hurricane cycle will continue; therefore it is vital that we stay prepared for each weather-related emergency. I am a Katrina survivor, and I am glad, that, even though I lost most of my belongings and my house, I was able to safely evacuate and knew which important papers I needed to bring.

My mission is to inform people on how to recognize, prepare, and recover from weather-related emergencies. Weather The Storm™ was created out of a serious concern about major hurricanes and flooding in the southeastern portion of the United States. I decided to expand to other weather-related emergencies as well.

You will find important information on how to prepare your home, family and pets, and automobiles. In future updates, I will include a list of supplies and equipment that I have researched and can recommend that you purchase. I have vital information about recovery and returning to your home. Oh, yes, I had to deal with FEMA after Hurricane Katrina, so I will tell you some methods that worked for me.

How did I get interested in hurricane preparedness? First, I must tell you that I am not a meteorologist nor do I have any background in emergency preparedness. I am a university professor who was not originally from New Orleans and did not know much about hurricanes. The first hurricane for which I evacuated was Hurricane Andrew in 1992. At that time, I didn't really think much about hurricanes. It was not until the late 1990s starting with Hurricane Georges that I noticed I had to evacuate more often. I started to distribute a "hurricane preparedness" list to my colleagues every May at my university and it became quite popular (in fact, if I were late in distributing the list, people would start to inquire where it was!!). I decided to make this information available to as many people I can help out.

I hope that this website will give you the vital information you need. I have included many helpful links as well. I am always willing to get feedback on how I can improve this website, so please feel free to contact me at info@weatherthestorm.com.

DISCLAIMER

The information on this website serves only as a guide. Each individual must make the choices best for his or her family or situation. The products recommended are also just suggestions of products I feel would be valuable to have.