[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.

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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

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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