Hurricane season begins Wednesday, and President Barack Obama is reminding Americans that complacency during storm season can be dangerous.
- Obama met with FEMA workers ahead of hurricane season's start
- President says he worries people are getting complacent
- Florida has not been hit by a hurricane in 11 years
- STORM THREAT 2016: Supply Checklist | Hurricane Myths | Interactive resources
The president met with Homeland Security and FEMA workers Tuesday, including FEMA Director Craig Fugate, to talk about the upcoming season. He also took a moment to thank Fugate and FEMA workers for what they’ve done to change the agency’s image.
“When I came into office, I think FEMA was an organization that was still, as Craig put it, wrapped around the axle," Mr. Obama said. "It now exemplifies the extraordinary role that effective government agencies and the people who work there can play in making our lives better, in saving lives, in helping people pick themselves back up after they’ve gotten hit with a tremendous blow.”
However, although the president says government will be there to help in an emergency, it’s up to every American to be prepared for any kind of emergency — be it a hurricane or a tornado or a brush fire — ahead of time.
“And what we've been seeing is some public complacency slipping in; a large portion of people not having preparedness kits, not having evacuation plans," the president said. "We've been stagnant a little bit with respect to the number of people, the percentage of people who respond to an evacuation order. All that has to pick up, because we want to make sure that, although it's hard to prevent property damage, that we are doing everything we can to prevent loss of life.”
Florida has not had a direct hit from a hurricane in almost 11 years. That creates that sense of complacency the president is talking about.
The term “hurricane amnesia” is often heard among emergency managers, especially in Florida, which, as a popular place to move to, also has hundreds of thousands of new residents who have never experienced a hurricane.
That’s why the president is reminding people to take the time now to get a fully stocked disaster supply kit and have a plan if they need to get out of town before a storm.
"One of the biggest, most important messages that we're going to be delivering throughout hurricane season is that you cannot judge the dangerousness of a hurricane based on the fact that in the past it dissipated or it missed you," Obama said.
"It is every citizen’s responsibility to be prepared for a disaster," Obama said. "And that means taking proactive steps, like having an evacuation plan, having a fully stocked disaster supply kit. If your local authorities ask you to evacuate, you have to do it. Don't wait."
- Don't wait. We have all the resources you need to prepare for this year's storm threat. Head to our special hurricane section to get started.