The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the majority of New England hurricanes striking in August and September.

Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over warm ocean waters and move toward land.

Potential threats of damaging winds and heavy rainfall — which Newtown has felt in recent years — are all typical hurricane behaviors.

In areas closer to the water, storm surges are also a danger, as are coastal and inland flooding and rip tides. Hurricanes also bring with them the chances of tornadoes and landslides.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), hurricanes can affect areas more than 100 miles inland.

New England hurricanes have made landfall on many occasions. According to Brown University researchers, the region’s cold sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and high wind shear mean the area’s hurricanes do not last long. Ones that do make landfall tend to be weak, with major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) being rare, also according to the researchers at BU.

While the June-November dates are typically when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin, tropical cyclogenesis is possible any time of the year.

This year was the second consecutive one when no storms formed during June, but local officials are encouraging Newtown residents to be prepared before the next emergency occurs.

Basic Preparations

According to Freddie Mac, the federal home loan mortgage corporation, homeowners and renters should always have an emergency supply kit at the ready. These kits should have water, flashlights, nonperishable food (DHS suggests enough food for three days), first aid supplies, batteries, a radio, and several days’ worth of medical supplies for each member of a family/tenant.

DHS also suggests having emergency supplies in one’s work location and vehicle in addition to the home.

Families should have an emergency plan in place. Everyone should know what to do and when to do it. For those with pets, they should also be accounted for in those emergency plans.

Gather and protect important household documents, including birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, mortgage statements, deeds, insurance policies, and medical files. These, along with valuables and family mementos, should be kept in a fire- and waterproof safe.

In the event of an emergency, have a plan to move those items to high ground, where they are less likely to sustain water damage.

One of the best ways to prepare a home, also according to Freddie Mac, is by installing hurricane strength windows and/or hurricane film, which can be left in place year round.

Another step to protect a home is clearing loose furniture, lawn debris, and other items from the lawn, porch, and other exterior areas. Store them somewhere secure.

Gutters should be maintained regularly because that can protect a home from undue damage during heavy rainfall.

The federal program also suggests people check their area’s emergency management agency and know in advance where to go in the event of a local evacuation.

Local Advice

Maureen Will, the director of Newtown Emergency Communications Center, and Donna Culbert, director of Newtown Health District, are two of the four members of Newtown’s Emergency Management Office. Each offered advice for local residents ahead of any hurricanes this year.

Ms Culbert would like to see every resident signed up for emergency communications services. In Newtown, that includes CodeRED communications, which can be issued to land lines, e-mail addresses, and cell phones; and the News & Announcements communications sent by town officials.

To register for either of these free services, visit newtown-ct.gov, the home page for the Town of Newtown website, and then click on the Sign Up for E-Alerts button in the center of the page.

Ms Culbert reiterated the idea of a food kit, adding pet foods to the list of items that should be set up in advance. That kit should be ready “so you can manage yourself, your family, and your pets for at least three to five days with minimal or no support,” she said.

The Health Department Director additionally suggests residents have a plan to manage any medications and/or health equipment they rely on, including storage or support.

“Refrigeration may require a generator,” she said.

Residents should have an updated list of the medications they take.

Ms Will also said residents should not be surprised by sunny days.

“Don’t forget that on those ‘blue sky days,’ that is when a danger can also happen very quickly,” she said. “Pay attention to the skies and warnings.”

Both women were pleased, they said, with the work done by residents and the local response team in May 2018, after a macroburst created massive damage to many parts of town and the surrounding region.

“The local response team — consisting of fire, police, EMS, communications, First Selectman, Public Works, Park & Rec, Health District, and schools met to debrief and identified several items and tasks to improve the team’s response in the future, particularly with regard to response procedures, communications, supplies and resources, and responding to our 275 miles of roads to be tracked,” they said in a statement.

Newtown’s Emergency Management team, they added, “reported that the community responded well. Community members were great at looking out for each other and helping each other. Such an abundance of care, concern, quick thinking, and the willingness and generosity to help others made a remarkable difference.”

Fact

Hurricane Hazards

While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depression also can be devastating. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents.

Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm's winds. This hazard is historically the leading cause of hurricane related deaths in the United States.

Storm surge and large battering waves can result in large loss of life and cause massive destruction along the coast.

Storm surge can travel several miles inland, especially along bays, rivers, and estuaries.

Flooding from heavy rains is the second leading cause of fatalities from landfalling tropical cyclones.

Widespread torrential rains associated with these storms often cause flooding hundreds of miles inland. This flooding can persist for several days after a storm has dissipated.

Winds from a hurricane can destroy buildings and manufactured homes. Signs, roofing material, and other items left outside can become flying missiles during hurricanes.

Tornadoes can accompany landfalling tropical cyclones. These tornadoes typically occur in rain bands well away from the center of the storm.

Dangerous waves produced by a tropical cyclone's strong winds can pose a significant hazard to coastal residents and mariners. These waves can cause deadly rip currents, significant beach erosion, and damage to structures along the coastline, even when the storm is more than a 1,000 miles offshore.

—National Weather Service