Hurricane Season Begins Monday – Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend

Is it already that time of year again? I guess it is. We have had graduation and Memorial Day has come and gone. The weather is getting warmer. The Gulf of Mexico is getting warmer. The calendar is just about to flip to June 1. That is the first official day of the Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Just to remind you, we've already had a named system this year. Tropical Storm Ana came ashore in the Carolina's earlier this month and was a bit on an anomaly. It was highly unusual to see a storm form that far in advance of the start of the season. It was made even more puzzling because forecasters have predicted this tropical season to be a below average season. 

Regardless of what Mother Nature has already done, it is Hurricane Preparedness Week in Louisiana. State officials are encouraging residents to do what we've always done at the start of each hurricane season. It's time to double check our disaster plans, our hurricane kits, and update our insurance policy if necessary.

If you're not sure exactly what steps you need to take you can visit the Get A Game Plan website. Chris Guilbeaux a Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness told the Louisiana Radio Network the site is very helpful for hurricane veterans and newbies too.

Take advantage of the checklist on there and all of the other ideas and things that we recommend, to stay prepare and take the appropriate action for any kind of hurricane that may threaten our coastline

This Saturday and Sunday will be a great time for residents to stock up on supplies needed for hurricane and storm preparation. This weekend there will be a sales tax holiday on items related to hurricane preparation.

Flashlights, generators and everything in between, to have your self and your family ready to deal with any kind of emergency that may arise

Currently there are no hot spots in the tropical Atlantic that bear watching but you can bet at sometime over the stretch from June 1 through November 30 there will be at least one area of disturbed weather in the Gulf of Mexico that will have all of us watching the tropics. In the meantime, preparing for the worst now is the best advice that we can offer.