By Staff
Presentation to be held Thursday
News Release
Individuals and representatives of communities, yacht clubs and marinas will meet on Thursday morning at the Washington Civic Center to listen to a program on hurricane preparedness for boating communities sponsored by the Pamlico Sail and Power Squadron.
The program is sponsored by the squadron and is free of charge to those who wish to attend. The program will begin at 9 a.m. and will end at noon.
While summer is a time for outdoor fun on the river and at the beach, the warmth and humidity of the season bring with it the threat of tropical storms.
It has long been recognized that the number and severity of hurricanes is related to the temperature of the surrounding seas. Since storms feed off the evaporation from oceans, increased heat means more energy to support tropical depressions.
As the alphabet of named storms for the 2008 season is underway, it is likely that the exceptional warmth the area is experiencing may mean a greater risk for communities along the North Carolina coast to experience a tropical event, according to the squadron.
Typically, these storms move northward along the East Coast from their strengthening place in the tropics.
Given the experience of eastern North Carolina with the damaging effects of wind, waves and flooding that come with these systems, several communities have had the wisdom to develop their own plans for hurricane preparedness, Rebholz said.
Since working in North Carolina, Paul Spruill, Beaufort County manager, has been responsible for the coordination of no less than 10 federally-declared disasters, mostly hurricanes, he said.
And, he said Emory Morgan, after attending a series of seminars on storm preparedness at Boat US, has organized an emergency response group for the Pamlico Plantation.
Presentations at the Thursday event will be made by a forecaster from the National Weather Service, Morgan, Spruill and others. A discussion period will follow that will focus on sharing of ideas and the coordination of efforts between the different organizations that have developed their own emergency response plans.
Questions about this program or other programs sponsored by the Pamlico division of the U.S. Power Squadrons can be directed to John Rebholz at (252) 402-7617 and online at jrebholz@suddenlink.net.