People who lived in the Pamlico region in 1954 know the devastation a hurricane can leave behind. That was Hurricane Hazel. People who lived in the Pamlico region in 1999 know the devastation that flooding associated with a hurricane can leave behind. That was Hurricane Floyd.

Those two hurricanes alone are reason enough people should be aware of Hurricane Preparedness Week, which began Sunday and ends Saturday. Gov. Beverly Perdue wants North Carolina residents – and the state’s emergency-response personnel – to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. That season begins June 1.

Remember, hurricanes pose three main dangers – wind, storm surge and inland flooding. Any one of these alone can kill, but together they form a monstrous alliance.

We join the governor and state and local emergency-management personnel in strongly urging North Carolina residents to create emergency plans for their families and put together supply kits, just in case a hurricane comes bowling ashore during the hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.

Because of lessons learned from the devastation caused by hurricanes over the years, North Carolina and Beaufort County are better prepared to deal with hurricanes as they approach, as they strike and after they leave. One of those lessons is to make sure to have a plan to deal with one’s pets and other animals such as those found on farms, in zoos and the like.

When it comes to hurricanes, an old saying comes to mind: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.