June 11, 2010 — This year's Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be a whopper. Between now and Nov. 30, hurricane forecasters say there could be 14 to 23 named storms, eight to 14 of which could develop into hurricanes and three to seven of those qualifying as "major."

Virginians have learned that hurricanes do not need to make landfall in the Commonwealth to bring devastating winds, rain, power outages and flooding to our area. 

Don't wait to get prepared until a storm is actually forecast; supplies will run out quickly. Start to build a kit and make a plan today. (Preparing ahead also ensures you are prepared for other emergencies.) If you already have a kit, share this information with your family, neighbors and friends. Remember, emergency preparedness is everybody's job, so …

    •    Get a kit
    •    Make a plan
    •    Stay informed

To learn more about hurricane preparedness, go to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's Hurricane site or to FEMA Hurricane site.

For information, contact the Office of Emergency Preparedness at 434-982-0565 or uvaoep@virginia.edu.