Let’s Be Ready

One thing I know about stress for sure—a good way to help manage stress is to be as prepared as possible for stressful things that might come our way. 

Just like the Boy Scouts say, it is important to Be Prepared.

In Georgia (and Florida and Texas and Louisiana and other coastal states), something we all need to be prepared for is hurricane season. We’re about 8 weeks into hurricane season 2024, and have already seen the huge damage done by Hurricane Beryl in the western Gulf.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) predicts above-normal hurricane activity this year, with 17 to 25 named storms.

So, it’s time to make sure we are all prepared.

The USDA has lots of good resources with information on preparedness, and encourages all agricultural producers and their families to:

1. Develop an Emergency Plan – Ensure your household and employees know your hurricane plan, including meeting points, emergency contact lists, and alternate evacuation routes in case infrastructure is damaged.
2. Remove Debris and Secure Large Objects – Clean out culverts, ditches, and other drainage areas, especially before and during peak hurricane season to reduce water damage. Most injuries to animals, people, or structures during a hurricane are caused by flying objects. To lessen the risk, minimize the presence of equipment, supplies, and debris that may become airborne during high winds or encountered in floodwaters.
3. Secure Important Records and Documents – Pre- and post-hurricane documentation is extremely important for insurance compensation and recovery assistance. You’ll want to have thorough records of damages and losses sustained on your farm as well as documentation of your cleanup and recovery efforts.
   • It is critical to document inventory of farm buildings, vehicles, equipment, and livestock before a disaster occurs. Take photos, videos, or make written lists with descriptions. Keep copies of this inventory in multiple places: computer, off-site in a safe location, and on a cloud-based server where information is transmitted and saved weekly.
4. Know Your Insurance Options – Regularly review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate coverage, including flood insurance, for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings, crops and livestock.
5. Gather Supplies – Have drinking water, canned food, a generator, batteries, a flashlight, and fuel available in case you lose power. For widespread outages, credit and debit cards may not work, so have cash handy.
6. Access Real-time Emergency Information – Download the Federal Emergency Management Agency smartphone app for free on the App Store and Google Play for safety tips on what to do before, during, and after disasters. Subscribe to USDA’s text message and email service to receive real-time, local operational and recovery information from the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency.

I hope and pray none of us will need this information this hurricane season. But please prepare and follow the suggestions on this list. Everyone stay safe so we can all keep thriving!