mi-reporter.com - Preparation is key - Hurricane Katrina in the South serves as a reminder

mi-reporter.com - Preparation is key - Hurricane Katrina in the South serves as a reminder

"Preparation is key - Hurricane Katrina in the South serves as a reminder
2005-09-15
by Ruth Longoria
Mercer Island Reporter

Although its damage was relegated to a few Southern states, Hurricane Katrina's Aug. 29 catastrophic attack served as a wake-up call for many Americans who wonder if they are prepared for a natural or terrorist-induced disaster. That concern may have been amplified this morning (Wednesday, Sept. 14) as the Emergency Alert System set off an earthquake drill on radio and television stations statewide in connection with National Preparedness Month.

Along with the 2002 designation of Sept. 11 as the official Patriot Day -- in honor of the thousands who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorists attacks on the New York City World Trade Center -- comes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's September 2005 proclamation of National Preparedness Month.

``Hurricane Katrina is a reminder of how important it is to be prepared,'' said Dee Totten, emergency manager for the City of Mercer Island. "