As hurricane season arrives, Red Cross pushes for more kits

(Harrisburg) — Hurricane season has officially arrived, and there’s a couple of ways to prepare in the event central Pennsylvania is impacted by the remnants of a storm.

Superstorm Sandy is the most recent big storm to hit the midstate, less than two years ago, and Hurricanes Irene and Isabel have also wreaked havoc in the past decade.

Laura Howe with the American Red Cross says it’s always important to be prepared, no matter how unlikely a storm might seem.

“There’s a large number of Americans, we’ve found through some of our studies, who just aren’t putting those plans together, and aren’t putting those kits together, and those are the first steps that people need to take, and the simplest steps, really.”

Food, water, and a working flashlights have always been recommended for a kit, but Howe also suggests more 21st century technology.

She also says Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks can help during emergencies, both in getting information and letting family and friends know what’s happening.