GOV. DECLARES HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

Gov. Mike Easley proclaimed last week (May 15-21) Hurricane Pre-paredness Week, just as a new survey of residents from Florida to Maine shows that people are unconcerned and not worried about preparing for the hurricane season.

Easley wants North Carolinians to assemble an emergency kit and a strategy before hurricane season, which begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

Between 1980 and 2004, North Carolina ranked at the top of the nationwide list for the number of billion-dollar weather disasters.

He suggested residents should study hurricane evacuation routes, determine how to take care of family pets and establish a contact person to notify in case family members become separated.