    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9876 of May 3, 2019

    National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    During National Hurricane Preparedness Week, I encourage all Americans
    living in hurricane-prone areas to take the measures necessary to
    safeguard their families, homes, and businesses. As a Nation, we are
    sadly too familiar with the destructive force of hurricanes. To help
    prevent and mitigate hurricane-related harm, it is critically important
    that we prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which starts next
    month.
    This September marks the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo, one of the
    strongest and most costly hurricanes to hit the United States from the
    Atlantic Ocean. That destructive storm devastated the Caribbean Islands
    of Guadeloupe, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico before making final landfall
    in South Carolina. The storm surge it generated also caused tremendous
    damage.

    [[Page 3361]]

    Hugo's destructive storm surge serves as a reminder of how dangerous
    that aspect of a storm can be. Over the last three decades, more people
    have died from storm surges and inland flooding than from hurricane
    winds. More than 50 people died last year after Hurricane Florence
    shattered all-time rain and flood records in the Carolinas. To address
    this deadly hazard, the National Weather Service (NWS) recently
    implemented alerts for impending storm surges on the gulf and east
    coasts, where low-lying areas and coastal communities are especially
    vulnerable.
    Our ability to track hurricanes for more timely and reliable forecasts
    has vastly improved. Last year, Hurricane Michael, a Category 5
    hurricane and the strongest storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle,
    destroyed neighborhoods, wrecked property, and altered countless lives.
    In the lead-up to Hurricane Michael, the NWS provided expert
    forecasting. In addition, the NWS has activated services to warn
    citizens of dangerous wind conditions when the eyewall of a hurricane is
    moving onshore. The Extreme Wind Warning signals when exceptionally
    strong winds are imminent, alerting families to take immediate life-
    saving actions, such as moving away from windows and finding shelter in
    far-interior locations.
    My Administration is continuing its efforts to enhance storm tracking
    and intensity predictions to help save lives and livelihoods by giving
    communities adequate time to prepare. We are committed to ensuring that
    the United States will produce the best weather forecasting model in the
    world. In 2017, I signed into law the first major standalone weather-
    related bill in decades, the bipartisan Weather Research and Forecasting
    Innovation Act. For the past year, we have built on the success of this
    legislation, especially through the Earth Prediction Innovation Center,
    strongly supported by the Congress and communities nationwide. This
    Center will advance our knowledge of severe weather, such as hurricanes,
    and increase our prediction and forecasting abilities with new modeling
    capabilities and forecast products that can protect life and property.
    Additionally, my Administration continues to prioritize and invest in
    the mitigation actions that are crucial for saving money, property, and,
    most importantly, lives when severe storms hit. We are working with
    communities across our country to implement plans to reduce the damage
    caused by hurricanes and to make them more resilient when they rebuild
    after disasters strike. It is crucial that we enhance our ability as a
    Nation to anticipate and adapt to natural and manmade disasters,
    disruptions, and emergencies. We must reduce the effects of disaster
    events and the rising cost of recovery.
    This week is an opportunity for everyone in areas that are susceptible
    to hurricane-related harm to prepare for these deadly storms. The Ready
    Campaign led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is
    available online and can help you develop preparedness plans for your
    family and business, gather supplies for your emergency kit, and plan
    for communicating with loved ones when power is out and cell towers are
    down. By taking collective responsibility to prepare for hurricanes, we
    help make our communities and our Nation safer and more resilient.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con

    [[Page 3362]]

    stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5
    through May 11, 2019, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. I call
    upon everyone to take action this week by making use of the online
    resources provided by the National Weather Service and FEMA to safeguard
    your families, homes, and businesses from the dangers of hurricanes and
    severe storms. 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
    prevent storm damage and save lives.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May,
    in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence
    of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
    DONALD J. TRUMP