Hurricane Katrina taught us a difficult lesson about the damage, death, and destruction a massive storm can cause. If there’s one thing we should take from that experience it is that these weather systems are not something to underestimate; you have to be prepared for the worst – especially if you live in storm-prone areas.

Tropical storms can deliver a powerful punch not only to coastal areas, but also to inland locations where high winds and heavy rains can create damage for days after a storm's landfall. Accounts of flooding, tornadoes, and even riptides are all too common from these systems.

Hurricane season typically lasts from June 1 to November 30, but this year two tropical storms, Alberto and Beryl, formed a few weeks before June began and four storms formed before July for the first time since 1851. And that was all before we reached the busy part of hurricane season.

As part of National Preparedness Month, we're highlighting a few of the ideas from the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide and other sources to help you get ready for the storms ahead.

There's an App for That: FEMA has a smartphone app for iPhones, Android devices, and Blackberrys that can help you prepare for natural and manmade disasters. (One of our favorite features from the app is a checklist of items to include in an emergency supply kit.) The American Red Cross also has a great Hurricane App for the iPhone and Android that lets you track storms, prepare your family for bad weather, and locate shelters when needed.

The Great Escape: Learn the evacuation routes for your area in case a storm forces you to move inland. And if storms are imminent, be sure your vehicle has a full tank so you can make the trip in heavy traffic and avoid long lines at the gas station when supplies may be limited or unavailable.

On the Radio: A great investment for anyone living in hurricane prone areas is a radio – especially one that is hand- or battery-powered, or has a battery backup -- that can receive NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards broadcasts and is certified to Public Alert standards. These special radios can provide audio and visual alerts when emergencies warrant and can even wake you up in the middle of the night in dangerous situations.

You Need a Plan: If you live in any coastal region of the United States, you must have a plan for what to do before, during, and after a storm.

There is more information than we can cover in this space, so be sure to check the links below for additional resources.

• National Weather Center Hurricane Preparedness Week
• American Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness Page
• Ready.gov Hurricane Page
• Corporation for National and Community Service Disaster Preparedness Toolkit

 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

For Tina Kiehn, an AmeriCorps NCCC member in Aurora, IL, the morning of September 11, 2001, started out as a day like any other. She was at her service site, helping a class of first graders adjust to the new school year. With summer just behind them, Kiehn and her team expected a normal daily schedule: classes, recess, homework help.
 

President Obama marks the eleventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks by remembering the innocent lives lost, and honoring the first responders and men and women in uniform who have served and sacrificed to keep our country safe.
 

Eleven years later and the tide has surely turned, at least in one very significant way. The anniversary of September 11th is no longer only a day known for a horrific tragedy on our national landscape. It is now also America’s largest day of charitable service and good deeds, in honor of my late brother and all those who perished that sunny September morning.
 

Olive Eckstein was making copies of her resume at a Kinko's in Queens on the morning of September 11, 2001. After serving for a year with AmeriCorps NCCC, she was looking for a job in her native New York.
 

For the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing how and why you should serve on the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Now with 9/11 Day just around the corner, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, get out there, and serve!
 

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance arrives in less than a week, but service projects have already begun, and more will take place this weekend and continue through 9/11 Day. If you don't have plans and are looking to serve, we have an overview of how volunteers across the country will pay tribute to and honor the victims and heroes of September 11th across the nation.
 

There’s a saying that goes, “be ready, so you don’t have to get ready.” Every family and workplace needs to have a plan of action to keep everyone safe when the unexpected happens. Sounds like the perfect excuse to discuss National Preparedness Month.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

September 11th can be a challenging topic for educators. For younger students who weren’t born or were very young in 2001, it’s history. For older students and teachers, it’s a vivid memory that may feel like a current event. Finding a way to make the day meaningful across the generations requires finesse and planning.
 

Since 1882, Americans have paused to observe Labor Day in a “yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” But before you enjoy a well-earned day off on September 3, consider giving a minute to help an unemployed or underemployed person find satisfying work and help transform the holiday into “Give Labor Day.”
 

AmeriCorps and Senior Corps teams are responding in four Gulf Coast states as Hurricane Isaac moves toward the region.
 

With the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance just around the corner, many Americans will begin to reflect on the inconceivable tragedy of 9/11 and the incredible unity and service that emerged from it. While some of us may get lost in the quantitative measures of this disaster, it is important to appreciate the individual victim, hero, or survivor, as each has a unique story and personal testimony.
 

My name is Ciera Russum and I’m a member of the Advanced Construction team at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School. We worked with the Green Building team to complete a full-gut rehab project on Greene Street.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

The St. Louis Safety Service Corps, commonly known as the Emergency Response Team (ERT), answered the call time and time again after natural disasters scarred communities across the Midwest in 2011.
 

“Believe in something; stand for something; act on something.” These ideas epitomize the career of new AmeriCorps Director Bill Basl as he continues his impressive work in public and national service and takes the helm of the program with more than 80,000 members.
 

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is less than one month away! Many communities and organizations around the nation are in the final stages of coordinating remembrance ceremonies and service activities to observe and reflect on the day.
 

As the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance draws closer, you may be making plans to join in with a service project of your own but then realize that you have no idea where to start. We can help you with that.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.Gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

On August 17, we held a Google+ Hangout to highlight the difference AmeriCorps, a national service opportunity that has logged more than 1 billion hours of service since 1994, is making in communities across the country.
 

Members of the group Game Changerz, also known as Sports Wives With Purpose, were in Washington recently, and we took the opportunity to ask them to talk about their favorite children’s books and the lessons they teach.
 

At the Corporation for National and Community Service, we hear and learn about amazing things happening through national service every day. But the best way to experience the power of national service isn’t in our headquarters in Washington, DC.
 

Originally presented in 2002 by 9/11 families and support networks, the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance honors the victims, survivors, and families of 9/11 through service-oriented programs. The 9/11 Day of Service has come to symbolize the culmination of our nation’s enduring unity, engaging millions of volunteers and communities each year.
 

Hosted in collaboration with the White House Office of Public Engagement and AmeriCorps Alums, the Corporation for National and Community Service is pleased to announce a convening of AmeriCorps alumni at the White House this Friday, August 17th, 2012.
 

Arriving in the United States is just the start of the journey for refugees like Alaa, an engineer from Iraq. Unable to find a job, his first few months in America were a struggle, as he tried to cover his most basic needs. Alaa was eager for a job – any job – to become self-sufficient while he studied to resume work as an engineer in a new country.
 

Some of our most creative AmeriCorps members and alumni took our challenge and submitted more than 300 entries for our 2012 AmeriCorps Photo and Video Contest. If you haven’t checked out the submissions and cast your votes, well, now's the time!
 

As we look ahead to this year’s September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, let’s step back and consider why service is such an important part of this day.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.Gov blog. In this series, we showcase news highlights that feature national service, and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.