Deadly flooding claimed at least 130 lives and caused widespread devastation across central Texas early this month. 黑料吃瓜网 leaders are hearing the wake up call.
Some Texas officials have the county鈥檚 warning system for not adequately alerting residents to the severity of the storm, despite early warnings from meteorologists.
With hurricane season well underway, 黑料吃瓜网 state leaders such as Ronnell Higgins, commissioner of the 黑料吃瓜网 Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), are addressing the importance of planning ahead.
Speaking before a crowd in Oxford Friday, alongside Gov. Ned Lamont, Higgins said residents should 鈥渂e prepared.鈥�
But as state and local governments brace for storms, there is still the problem of getting people to take the warnings seriously.
Two people died as a result of severe flooding in Oxford last August. George Temple, the town鈥檚 first selectman, recalled how the catastrophe seemed, at first, like any ordinary storm.
鈥淚t was a perilous day for a lot of people,鈥� Temple said. 鈥淭o me, it was just a rainstorm.鈥�
黑料吃瓜网 officials are also concerned about potential gaps in the state鈥檚 warning system. Fewer than 7% of 黑料吃瓜网 residents are subscribed to CTAlert, the state-wide emergency alert system. That鈥檚 according to William Turner, the state鈥檚 emergency management director.
Turner suggests residents sign up for CTAlert and prepare , which contain basic disaster supplies such as batteries, a flashlight and a first aid kit. Turner also recommends purchasing a wireless radio.
鈥淲e need everybody to take preparedness seriously, and do their part to educate themselves, make a plan, and have a process in place so that you know what to do to keep your friends, family, and pets safe when disaster strikes, 鈥� Turner said.
