How the Maryland Department of Emergency Management coordinates hurricane response
First Alert Meteorologist Tim Williams sat down with Ed McDonough, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, to learn more about how the agency coordinates hurricane response to keep Marylanders safe.
The MDEM is not a response agency but works with those agencies to support local governments in responding to incidents.
We're talking about response not just to tornadoes or snow storms, but this time of year the focus is hurricanes, and potentially the residual effects of those types of storms.
After the hurricane season starts on June 1, MDEM wants residents to know what's going on in the Atlantic.
We usually have somewhere between five to seven days' notice, but the further a storm is, the harder it is to pinpoint exactly where it will go.
"You know, keep track of what's going on and be prepared," McDonough said. "Have a family emergency plan, have a disaster supply kit. Do the things that need to be done so that if a storm like that comes this way, you'll be prepared."
Here are "10 Steps to Safety" to stay prepared for a disaster.