2024 Hurricane Season Overview

The Atlantic hurricane season spans June 1 through November 30, with peaks occurring around mid-August through late October. The key to building resiliency and being always ready for any potential disasters is centered around individual and family preparedness.

Take time out now to prepare for hurricane season by building a kit, making a plan, and protecting your family, home, and facilities.

Planning before a disaster can save lives. FEMA provides additional information and resources such as social media graphics in English and Spanish, public service announcements, videos, and tip sheets.

For more information, check out the important links below:

	Ready.gov (Preparedness Guidance) https://www.ready.gov/
	Ready.gov (Hurricane Season Guidance)  https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
	National Hurricane Center (Storm Forecasts and Impacts)  www.hurricanes.gov

2024 Hurricane Season Outlook

A summary infographic showing hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms predicted from NOAA's 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook.

2024 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Names

A summary graphic showing an alphabetical list of the 2024 Atlantic tropical cyclone names as selected by the World Meteorological Organization. The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1 and runs through November 30.

Important Terms

• Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48
  hours of the onset of tropical storm force winds.
• Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area, generally
  within 36 hours of the onset of tropical storm force winds.
• Storm Surge Watch: There is the possibility of life-threatening inundation generally within 48
  hours.
• Storm Surge Warning: There is a danger of life-threatening inundation generally within 36
  hours.
• Tropical Depression: Sustained winds are less than 39 mph
• Tropical Storm: Sustained winds are between 39 and 73 mph
• Hurricane: Sustained winds are 74 mph or greater
• Major Hurricane: Sustained winds are 111 mph or greater

Individual and Family Preparedness Tips

Build a Kit. Consider the specific needs of your family, including seniors and those with access and functional needs to ensure there are adequate supplies for 7-10 days following a disaster in case you need to shelter in place at home. Store supplies in an easily accessible container or cupboard and update them twice a year at daylight saving times.

• Store one gallon of water for drinking and sanitation for each person per day.
• Include non-perishable ready-to-eat foods for each person in the household paying attention to family members with special diets and allergies.
• Have hand sanitizer, antibiotic ointment, hygienic products, diapers and wipes available.
• Keep a First Aid kit along with an ample supply of any medications.
• Flashlight, glow sticks, whistle or bell, battery-operated AM/FM radio, and extra batteries or a wind-up radio that does not require batteries.
• Include a favorite toy, stuffed animal, books and activities for younger members of the family.
• Protect your important documents such as vital records, insurance policies, medical information, property and financial records by laminating them or putting them on an external drive.
• Make sure to have adequate food and water for your pet. Be sure your pet is wearing a collar with updated identification tags with the pet’s name, owner’s name, address, and phone number.

Make a Family Communications Plan. As roads may be impassable and cell phone or Internet service disrupted, identify alternate ways of staying in touch with family and loved ones.

• Choose an out-of-town friend or relative as a point of contact.
• Decide on an alternate meeting place in case you cannot return home.
• Secure important documents and keep important phone numbers with you at all times.
• Ensure children are included in preparedness conversations and make sure they have emergency contacts memorized or saved in a secure place.

Harden and Protect Your Home and Property. Take steps to prepare and protect your home from the adverse effects of a tropical cyclone.

• Prepare to store anything from your property that could be picked up by hurricane winds and turned into a harmful or destructive object.
• Trim trees to remove dead limbs and overhanging branches.
• Clean and secure rain gutters and downspouts—check your drainage system for any obstructions or blockage.
• Make sure porches, decks, or sheds are sound and firmly attached.
• Move any outdoor items to a secure location so they do not become airborne during a storm.
• Fasten down roofs with hurricane straps or clips and install strong bolts at the top and bottom of
  exterior doors.
• Make or install storm shutters for windows.
• Protect your home from water intrusion. Close all doors all the way, including any overhead, exterior, or garage doors. Move furniture and valuables off the floor to avoid risk of water damage.
• Unplug small appliances and electronic equipment. Hurricanes can cause power surges and interruptions, and anything that is plugged in runs a risk of getting damaged.
• Review home insurance policies to ensure proper coverage. Take photos and inventory of insured property and contents.

Prepare and Protect Your Boat from Severe Weather. Take steps to protect your boat or other facilities from damage or destruction.

• Never stay on the boat.
• Best option is to take your boat out of the water, if possible.
• Secure your boat to the dock if it cannot be stored ashore.
• Reinforce against damage by installing chafe guards and fenders to protect the stress of your lines
  and your boat.
• Remove personal belongings from the vessel.
• Cut windage by reducing its profile and especially take down anything that can catch the wind.
• Keep your boat insurance information up-to-date and in a safe place.

Understand “Everbridge” Everbridge is the critical communications platform used nationwide by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

It is designed to deliver only the most urgent and time-sensitive notifications that require the widest dissemination to all of our members in the shortest period of time. Messages are sent through multiple communication methods including text/SMS, email, and telephone (landline and mobile).

During severe weather events affecting our District, Everbridge messages are often intended to check on your well-being and assess 100% accountability of our members.

Proper and timely acknowledgement of Everbridge messages by every D1SR member is critical to our overall preparedness posture and responsibilities as Auxiliarists in support of the US Coast Guard.

Everbridge:  Our Emergency Messaging System

Everbridge is the unified emergency messaging system used nationwide by the USCG Auxiliary.  It is a critical event management platform designed to deliver important and time-sensitive notifications to the right person at the right time through multiple communication methods including text/SMS, email, and telephone (landline and mobile).  This article addresses some of the more common Auxiliary questions about Everbridge and basic information that all USCG Auxiliarists need to know.

How do I sign up for Everbridge messages?

There is no need to sign up.  As a member of the USCG Auxiliary, you will receive critical notifications through Everbridge based on your contact information in AUXDATA II.  Obviously, this means that all your contact information MUST be correct and current in order to receive critical messages in a timely manner.

What should I do if I receive an Everbridge message?

The most important initial action for every Auxiliarist is to acknowledge receipt of the message.  This can be done based on the format of the message—whether via email, text, or phone—by clicking on an acknowledgement link (email), responding to a text/SMS, or pressing the appropriate menu button on an automated phone call message.  Prompts are included with each communication to properly acknowledge the message.

What happens after I acknowledge the message?

Your response is recorded in the Everbridge database.  This step by you is vital in order to confirm receipt of the message and account for your well-being.  On the back end, Everbridge allows for various reports and analyses of all District-wide responses.  But the most important first step is achieving 100% accountability from ALL of our members, which occurs simply by you acknowledging the message in a timely manner—normally within an 8- 12-hour messaging cycle.

Who sends Everbridge messages?

Everbridge messages in D1SR are sent under the authority of the District Commodore (DCO) and issued by the Emergency Management (EM) department.  The system is reserved for only the most critical information, messages, bulletins, or updates that require the widest dissemination to all of our members in the shortest period of time as determined by the DCO.

What kinds of Everbridge messages can I receive?

That depends on the nature of the critical information or management of the incident.  The most basic type of message is a Standard broadcast that will convey urgent information and request your acknowledgement.  It is often intended to check on your well-being and assess 100% accountability of our members.  In more complex responses, an Everbridge broadcast may include a Polling/Survey question or instructions that assess your availability to deploy to a major incident within a certain time period.  

Why do I get repeated Everbridge messages?

Quite simply, it’s because the system is designed to continue attempts to contact you with a high-priority message until and unless you acknowledge receipt of that message by any one method.  That means, as long as you confirm receipt either via email, text/SMS, or telephone, it will suffice to record your acknowledgement for that particular message cycle.  If a follow-up message or update is issued by the District Commodore, then a new notification cycle begins—thus requiring another acknowledgement. 

Conclusion

Overall, Everbridge is an extremely important first step in disseminating high-priority messages and achieving 100% accountability throughout our District.  The safety and welfare of all our members are the District’s top priorities in an emergency or major incident, and Everbridge is our critical communications platform designed to accomplish that task.