New Mexico ‘Hurricane Season’ History Demonstrates Need to Prepare Now 

Release Date: May 30, 2012
Release Number: R6-12-099

» 2012 Region VI News Releases

DENTON, Texas — One major hurricane, which resulted in a federal disaster declaration, serves as reminder to New Mexicans that now’s the time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.

The 2012 Hurricane Season begins on June 1, and while experts are predicting a slower season than in past years, most of the predictions still call for at least a normal amount of activity. The 50 year average is a little over 11 named storms, six of those becoming hurricanes and two becoming major ones – Category 3 or higher.

Reports show that New Mexico has had one storm that resulted in a federal declaration. It was an emergency declaration for Hurricane Katrina (2005) and resulted in the state receiving a more than $1 million in federal disaster aid under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program.

The state received an emergency declaration after Katrina impacted Louisiana. The funding was made available to reimburse New Mexico for its costs related to housing Katrina evacuees.

In addition to hurricane winds and rain, the season also brings threats of flooding and tornadoes which can and have impacted states that are not on the coast.

“The bottom line is that New Mexicans should be prepared for all hazards,” said Acting FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Robinson. “We say it often, but it’s the best way to get a clear message out there – Get a Kit, Make a Plan and Stay Informed.

For more information on the upcoming hurricane season, please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes and www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare.

Volunteering is one way to be prepared to help others. Use VolunteerMatch to locate local Red Cross volunteer opportunities in your community. You can also visit www.citizencorps.gov for ways to help and be prepared.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Thursday, 31-May-2012 10:48:33