BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The hurricane season is upon us and it stretches from 1 June to 30 November. Now is a good time to bolster preparedness and review lessons learned after hurricanes such as Hurricane Michael devastated parts of the United States last year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Climate Protection Center is predicting 9 to 15 named storms this year, of which 4 to 8 could become hurricanes. The possibility of 2 to 4 major hurricanes this year is a very real expectation according to the NOAA.
Individual Reservists (IR) should not proceed on orders to a STOP MOVEMENT or Hurricane Evacuation-affected area until specific guidance is issued. IRs should contact their unit of assignment or location of duty to confirm if evacuation procedures have been ordered.
Any IRs currently on orders in a Hurricane Evacuation-affected area should follow local guidance and evacuation orders. If you receive an AFPAAS message for accountability, go to https://afpaas.af.mil/ to account for yourself and your dependents.
In the event that standard forms of communication are disabled, units should utilize their official public web site, their social media and mobile application push alert notification systems, as a means of messaging their personnel.
AFPAAS uses DEERS contact information, so ensure your DEERS information is current. Go to https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect or call 1-800-538-9522 to update DEERS.
The HQ RIO telephone information line, 720-847-3777, DSN: 847-3777, has the most up-to-date information regarding current events affecting IRs.
Other emergency preparedness resources can be found at https://www.afrc.af.mil/emergency_preparedness