{"id":23585,"date":"2020-08-21T09:38:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T13:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mema\/?p=23585"},"modified":"2020-08-21T09:38:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T13:38:29","slug":"mema-expands-public-service-announcement-campaign-as-maryland-prepares-to-enter-the-peak-of-hurricane-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/2020\/08\/21\/mema-expands-public-service-announcement-campaign-as-maryland-prepares-to-enter-the-peak-of-hurricane-season\/","title":{"rendered":"MEMA Expands Public Service Announcement Campaign as Maryland Prepares to Enter the Peak of Hurricane Season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Urges Marylanders to Take Preparations Seriously Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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REISTERSTOWN, Md. (August 21, 2020) \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>Know. Plan. Act. These are the actions Maryland Emergency Management (MEMA) officials are urging Marylanders to take as the Mid-Atlantic region prepares to enter the peak of hurricane season\u2013\u2013one that has already broken several records, including a record 11 named storms thus far, with nine tropical storms and two hurricanes.<\/p>\n

The Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign launched through\u00a0social media<\/a>\u00a0and digital billboards days before Isaias impacted Maryland and will be expanding to TV, radio, cable, and other mass media beginning today. The campaign underscores the importance of hurricane preparedness during COVID-19 and knowing if you are in, near, or traveling to, an evacuation zone by visiting\u00a0KnowYourZoneMd.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI urge all Marylanders to be proactive and take preparations for hurricane season seriously,\u201d said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. \u201cIsaias showed us the kind of damage a tropical storm can do to our communities. All Marylanders need to be extra vigilant this hurricane season due to extra precautions that may need to occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The time to prepare is now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isaias hit Maryland in early August, spawning 9 tornadoes on the Eastern Shore and in Southern Maryland, causing one death and several injuries and likely causing millions of dollars in damage.<\/p>\n

NOAA’s\u00a0updated 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0forecasts that an \u201cabove-normal hurricane season is very likely, with a significant possibility of the season being extremely active.\u201d Specifically, the outlook indicates an 85% chance of an above-normal season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a possibility according to NOAA that we will see a much more active hurricane season than what we are used to as Marylanders,\u201d said MEMA\u2019s Executive Director, Russ Strickland. \u201cAll it takes is one storm to change your life. That is why the State of Maryland, MEMA, local Emergency Management Directors, and our partners, like the American Red Cross, will continue to collaborate together through National Preparedness Month in September until the end of hurricane season in November, to ensure our preparedness message is heard loud and clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strickland also reminded Marylanders to Know, Plan, and Act.<\/p>\n

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  1. Know:\u00a0<\/strong>Your zone in case you are told to evacuate by local emergency officials.<\/li>\n
  2. Plan:\u00a0<\/strong>what you need to do to deal with an emergency now.<\/li>\n
  3. Act:\u00a0<\/strong>Be familiar with evacuation areas, evacuate when ordered to do so.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As part of the ongoing PSA campaign in Maryland, MEMA has created eleven 30-second videos that cover all aspects of hurricane preparedness, including COVID-19 implications; hurricane threats, like storm surge and tidal flooding, flooding rains, hazardous winds, and tornadoes; evacuation zones and orders; emergency kit preparations; considerations for children and pets; and sheltering in place.<\/p>\n

    Preparing for the hurricane season\u2013\u2013and all hazards\u2013\u2013has become more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic, for both emergency officials and the public. State and local officials, and their partners, have updated plans for both evacuation and sheltering because of COVID 19 limitations. MEMA reminds people of how COVID-19 may affect this year\u2019s hurricane season in Maryland:<\/p>\n