[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9606 of May 5, 2017

National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

National Hurricane Preparedness Week reminds those of us living in
hurricane-prone areas of the need to ready our homes, communities, and
families for extreme weather events before hurricane season arrives.
Preparing for weather-related disasters can dramatically reduce their
impact on you, your family, and your community.
The 2017 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and lasts through
November 30, marks the 25th anniversaries of Hurricanes Andrew and
Iniki. In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew tore through South Florida
before making landfall, again, in Louisiana. It claimed 65 lives,
destroyed 25,000 homes, and caused approximately $26 billion in overall
damage. A few weeks later, Hurricane Iniki struck the Hawaiian Island of
Kauai, killing six, demolishing 1,400 homes, and causing about $1.8
billion in overall damage. The tragic losses caused by those terrible
storms remind us of the need to prepare for the destruction hurricanes
can bring.
As Hurricane Andrew demonstrated, inland areas are not immune from the
destruction hurricanes can bring with them through flooding rains and
other related weather events. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration study of Hurricane Andrew revealed that most of the
damage it caused was inland from the primary storm surge areas. Just

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last year, heavy rains from Hurricane Matthew caused destructive
flooding and loss of life in the Carolinas, even though the hurricane's
eye remained mostly offshore.
This week, through several initiatives, I am encouraging Americans to
take the time to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. After a
major disaster, you may not have immediate access to the services you
are accustomed to, such as clean water, grocery stores, and emergency
services. Hurricane preparedness information provided by the National
Weather Service (NWS) and the Ready campaign conducted by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), both available online, outline
important steps you can take right now to safeguard your family, pets,
and property. These resources will help you create evacuation and
communications plans and assemble a disaster kit of necessary supplies.
Developing and implementing these plans will save lives and avoid excess
damage.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 7 through May 13,
2017, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. I call upon Americans
living in hurricane-prone areas to observe this week by making use of
the online resources provided by the NWS and FEMA and by taking actions
to safeguard their families, homes, and businesses from the dangers of
hurricanes. I also call upon Federal, State, local, tribal, and
territorial emergency management officials to help inform our
communities about hurricane preparedness and response, in order to help
prevent storm damage and save lives.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
DONALD J. TRUMP