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 Anniversaries
come in many different shapes and sizes – sometimes anniversaries are
happy occasions, commemorating a marriage or achievement, and some
anniversaries are more painful – remembering times of hardship and
struggle. It seems more and more, when I turn on the news, the
anniversaries we are marking as a country are those of tragedy and not
those of hope.
This week marks the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which
devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, and with the anniversary brings
painful reminders for many of how thousands Americans lost homes,
businesses and their ways of life when the storm hit. As the region
effected continues to try and move forward, the anniversary needs to
serve as a reminder for the rest of us that hurricanes can have a
tremendously destructive and long-lasting impact. The two-year
anniversary of Katrina also reminds us of something else—hurricanes are
not limited to the Gulf Coast region and here in Virginia we are
vulnerable to the devastating impact of weather as well. It wasn’t too
long ago – only four short years – that Hurricane Isabel wreaked havoc
on our area.
We need to use this anniversary to remind ourselves to look forward and
make sure we are each prepared if a hurricane hits our area this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the
2007 hurricane season to
be a busy one, and it’s important this year and in the future to take
the necessary steps to prepare now. It is often too late to start
preparing once the storm is already heading in our direction.
I encourage you to make a family plan that includes how you will
evacuate, communicate if you are separated, take shelter in place, and
how you will take care of your pets. Below is a family checklist to have
in place prior to a hurricane:
• Be informed: Know vital information about evacuation routes, local and
state emergency communication, and the location of emergency shelters.
• Include your family: Explain to all members of your family what
actions local and state officials are taking to protect its citizens.
Include children in discussions, and make sure they understand what to
do if they become separated from you. Have an "out-of-town" contact
(such as a relative) that everyone will contact after the disaster.
• Have a plan: Your plan should include information for your out-of-town
contact, meeting locations, and emergency services. A sample form for
recording this information can be found at
www.ready.gov. Teach your children
how to call the emergency phone numbers and when it is appropriate to do
so. Be sure each family member has a copy of your communication plan and
post it near your telephone for use in an emergency.
• Stock up now: Essential items to have: first aid kit (including
prescription medicines), food and water for at least 72 hours, extra
clothing and blankets, flashlights and extra batteries. Consider also a
NOAA Weather Radio and extra batteries, a whistle to signal for help, a
camp stove with extra fuel, foldable ladders for second-story escape in
a fire, and photocopies of credit and identification cards.
• Heed warnings: If a warning is issued, follow your plan. If an
evacuation order is issued, don't delay leaving.
There are many other resources I encourage you to visit to learn about
these steps and more. The Disaster
Management Initiative provides these preparedness tips, as does the
National Hurricane Center.
As we mark the second anniversary of Katrina, let us not only just
remember the tragedy that caused many of our fellow citizens to lose so
much, but also take the opportunity to visit these resources and make a
plan for ourselves to withstand a hurricane. I’ll continue to work in
Congress to make certain our government and federal agencies are
prepared, and I ask you to continue to work to make sure your families
are prepared. Together, we can help lessen the number of painful
anniversaries, so we can celebrate more of the good ones.
Lifelong Literacy
The Library of Congress
encourages lifelong literacy by providing resources to families,
children, teachers, and students. They encourage a journey of reading in
the lives of young Americans, promoting their motto that it is never too
early to open your mind to the joys and wonders of reading.
Click the photo below to go directly to the
Library of Congress Lifelong Literacy website and read letters from
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, access classic books like The
Secret Garden online, or download coloring pages for your kids from
classic books like The Chronicles of Narnia.
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