{"id":18190,"date":"2026-05-04T09:09:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=18190"},"modified":"2026-05-04T09:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:09:05","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-you-to-prepare-for-hurricane-season","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-you-to-prepare-for-hurricane-season\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges You to Prepare for Hurricane Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>May 4, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges You to Prepare for Hurricane Season<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 3-9<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District is reminding you that National Hurricane Preparedness Week is the perfect time to get ready for the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. Hurricanes can bring strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, and even tornadoes. These storms can cause serious damage, even in areas far from Virginia\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we observe Hurricane Preparedness Week, our message is simple: be ready before the storm arrives,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cPreparing your household today helps protect not only your family, but also strengthens the resilience of our entire community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Colorado State University researchers predict a below normal hurricane season this year. They <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/644d2a771dff44fb826a2ee4f9c5b936\">forecast<\/a> 13 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. There is a 32% chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the United States. About 80% of major hurricanes strengthen very quickly, leaving you less time to prepare. One storm could change your life, so prepare now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Make A Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When making or updating your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/plan\">emergency plan<\/a>, think about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How will you communicate with family if you are separated?<\/li>\n<li>What is your <a href=\"https:\/\/vdemgis.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/instant\/lookup\/index.html?appid=98abdbb77b3843dea8f1e7d101771e01\">evacuation zone<\/a>\u00a0if you live in a coastal area?<\/li>\n<li>What is your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/evacuation\">evacuation plan<\/a>? Where will you go if you need to leave?<\/li>\n<li>What will you do with your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/emergency-preparedness\/emergency-preparedness\/hurricane-season\/plan-ahead-for-your-pet\/\">pets<\/a> during an emergency?<\/li>\n<li>Where will you keep your plan written down and who will you share it with?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Build a Kit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Build or update <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/kit\">emergency kits<\/a> for your home and your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/car\">car<\/a>.\u00a0Check expiration dates and replace old items. Basic items include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Water and nonperishable food<\/li>\n<li>Flashlights and batteries<\/li>\n<li>First aid supplies<\/li>\n<li>Important documents<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/pets#kit\">Supplies for pets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep a list of your medicines, doses, and instructions. Include information about your health conditions, medical supplies, and allergies. Talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about keeping an emergency supply of your medications.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stay Informed<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fema.gov\/mobile-app\">FEMA app<\/a> for real-time alerts.<\/li>\n<li>Use a NOAA weather radio.<\/li>\n<li>Sign up for community <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/alerts\">alerts<\/a> in your area, if available, and be aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which require no sign up.<\/li>\n<li>Track storms on the National Hurricane Center website.<\/li>\n<li>Know the difference between a Hurricane Watch and a Hurricane Warning.\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\/warningsdefined#Hurricane%20Watch\">Hurricane Watch<\/a>: Conditions <em>might <\/em>happen within 48 hours.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\/warningsdefined#Hurricane%20Warning\">Hurricane Warning<\/a>: A hurricane with winds of 74 mph or higher is <em>expected<\/em> within 36 hours. Warnings may stay in place even if winds weaken but water levels remain dangerous.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Stay Safe This Hurricane Season<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Preparing now can help protect you, your family, and your community. The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District encourages everyone to take time this week to review plans, check supplies, and stay aware of changing weather conditions.<\/p>\n<p>If you have questions about hurricane preparedness, please contact Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 4, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov The Rappahannock-Rapidan\u00a0Health District Urges You to Prepare for Hurricane Season Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 3-9 WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District is reminding you that National Hurricane Preparedness Week is the perfect time to get ready for the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1699,711],"class_list":["post-18190","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-hurricane-preparedness","tag-severe-weather"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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