Official Urges Preparation For Potential Storm Threats

The latest forecast from the National Weather Service shows Hurricane Matthew traveling east of New England with little, if any, rain this weekend.

While it appears the southcoast will be spared from this storm New Bedford's Emergency Management Director Mark Mahoney tells WBSM News that doesn't mean that residents should stop preparing for potential threats.

"We still have several more weeks to go in hurricane season, anything can happen," said Mahoney "even if Matthew does in fact miss us, it's still a good opportunity for residents to take stock of their level of personal preparedness."

Mahoney says that residents should take this an opportunity to ensure they know what to do if a storm strikes and that they have all the items on hand that they would need.

"Knowing where you would go if you had to leave your home, having a family emergency plan, and having an emergency supplies kit, and that's not just for hurricanes I mean that's useful for blizzards and any other types of emergencies and disasters that could come upon us," said Mahoney.

Mahoney says this emergency preparedness kit should be on hand in every home but doesn't need to be a complicated undertaking.

"It just could be a collection of non-perishable food and other emergency items in a particular location in your home, a closet or a particular part of the basement," said Mahoney.

Stay tuned to 1420 WBSM for all your latest weather news and updates.