Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted that the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season would be “very active” with 15 named tropical storms and eight hurricanes. It is predicted that half of these hurricanes will develop into major hurricanes ranked as Category 3 or higher on the scale of hurricane strength.

A Category 3 storm has winds between 111-130 mph and cause extensive damage. The worst storm, a Category 5 has winds greater than 155 mph and cause catastrophic damage. The Hurricane Season officially runs from June 1 to November 20. Some islands are still recovering from the hurricanes and tropical storms that pounded the region last year, killing thousands and destroying billions of dollars in property.

The first tropical storm of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Arlene, formed in the Caribbean on Thursday bringing heavy rains to Central America, the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba and is expected to track into the Gulf of Mexico.

Planning for Hurricanes requires considering all likely scenarios that could result when things that you rely on daily-like electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, telephone service and transportation are disrupted or lost for a considerable amount of time.

Therefore, you should plan on having food, water and other essentials to get you through the emergency. Most emergency management planners suggest having enough supplies for three to five days for weather-related events. However, many things may impact your decision, including storage space, special needs, and number of people in the household and available resources.