Governor Beverly Perdue along with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and National Weather Service (NWS) have declared May 23-29 as North Carolina's Hurricane Preparedness Week. A link to the National Hurricane Center's Preparedness Week webpage is listed below along with links to daily statements issued by the NWS Raleigh Office. You can find a number of new products provided by the National Hurricane Center including new storm surge forecast tools and various GIS based products. The lead time for Hurricane and Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings will also be extended out in time by 12 hours due to the continued increase in storm track prediction.

National Hurricane Center Hurricane Preparedness Week website

National Weather Service Raleigh Office

Hurricane Statement - Sunday

Hurricane Statement - Monday

Hurricane Statement - Tuesday

Hurricane Statement - Wednesday

Hurricane Statement - Thursday

Hurricane Statement - Friday

Hurricane Statement - Saturday

Safe Kids Week and National Playground Safety Week will be celebrated April 25th – May 1st, 2010.  
With warmer weather comes an increase in playground and sports injuries.   
The following playground safety rules aim to increase awareness of playground safety and teach
children how to be safe and act responsibly on the playground.  Here are some general rules to teach
your children:
 • Never push or roughhouse while on jungle gyms, slides, seesaws, swings, and other equipment
 • Use equipment properly – slide feet first, don’t climb outside guardrails, no standing on swings,
etc. 
 • Leave bikes, backpacks, and bags away from equipment and the area where you’re playing so
that no one trips over them. 
 • Playground equipment should never be used if it is wet because moisture causes the surface to
be slippery. 
 • Don’t wear clothes with drawstrings or other strings at the playground.  Drawstrings, purses and
necklaces could get caught on equipment and accidently strangle a child. 
 • Wear sunscreen when playing outside even on cloudy days so you don’t get sunburned.
 • Have adult supervision when you are on a playground.
 
Sports and Recreational Safety
 
 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that every child should have an opportunity to
participate in sports or any recreational activity that promotes regular physical activity. Participation in
sports can lead to many health benefits as well as health risks. Although deaths among children playing
organized sports are rare, sports injuries among youth are a common and increasing occurrence.  
• Approximately 38 million children participate in sports each year in the United States. Nearly three-
quarters of U.S. households with school-age children have at least one child who plays organized sports.  
• Each year, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 years and under receive medical treatment for
sports injuries.  
• Although rare, brain injury is the leading cause of sports-related death to children.  
• The highest rates of sports-related brain injuries seen in the emergency room visits occurred among
children less than 15 years old.  
• The most common types of sport-related injuries in children are sprains (mostly ankle), muscle strains,
bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and heat-related illness
 
A survey found that among athletes ages 5 to 14 years 15 percent of basketball players, 28 percent of
football players, 22 percent of soccer players, 25 percent of baseball players, and 12 percent of softball
players have been injured while playing their respective sports.  
 Every year, an estimated 700,787 young athletes were treated in hospital emergency rooms for either
football or basketball-related injuries.

 Where, When and How 
• Collision and contact sports are associated with higher rates of injury. However, injuries from
individual sports tend to be more severe. 
• Each year, approximately 715,000 sports and recreation injuries occur in school settings alone. 
• Severe and minor injuries occur during both games and practice, yet a national survey revealed that
approximately 33 percent of parents often do not take the same safety precautions during their child’s
practice as they would for a game.
 
 
Proven Interventions 
Sports injuries may be caused by: 
• Inadequate physical exams before participating—every child should receive a pre-participation
physical exam by the child’s doctor before each season. 
• Lack of pre-season conditioning 
• Lack of safety equipment, or poorly fitted equipment 
• Improper training and coaching, or lack of coaching skills and instruction 
• Not warming up, cooling down and stretching properly 
• Poor nutrition or hydration 
• Fatigue, burnout, or playing while injured 
• Unsafe playing fields, or surfaces 
• Teaming up by age instead of size
 
Sports Safety Tips
 Warm up and stretch before you play sports. 
 Cool down and stretch after you play sports. 
 If you play soccer, wear shin guards and shoes with rubber cleats. 
 If you play football, wear a helmet, face mask, full padding, and an athletic cup (for boys).
 Wear shoes with good ankle support when you play basketball. 
 Wear a batting helmet when you’re up to bat. 
 Wear a helmet when you ski or snowboard. 
 Wear a helmet every time you ride a bike. 
 If you are playing outside, wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. 
 Drink enough liquids to prevent dehydration and heat illness. 
 Kids should have a general health exam before enrolling in a sports program.
 

The safest place to be during high winds is indoors. Postpone outdoor activities if a wind advisory or high wind warning has been issued.

If you are caught outside during high winds:

• Take cover next to a building or under a shelter.
• Stand clear of roadways or train tracks, as a gust may blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
• Use handrails where available on outdoor walkways and avoid other elevated areas such as roofs without adequate railing.
• Watch for flying debris. Tree limbs may break; awnings and street signs may become loose during strong wind gusts.  Keep an eye toward nearby balconies for loose objects that may fall.

• Call for help. Report downed lines to your local utility emergency center and to the police. Do not try to free lines or to remove debris yourself.
• Avoid anything that may be touching downed lines, including vehicles or tree branches. Puddles and even wet or snow-covered ground can conduct electricity in some cases. Warn others to stay away.
• If you see someone who has been shocked who may be in direct or indirect contact with a power line, do not try to touch them. You may become a second victim. Get fire and medical attention as quickly as possible by calling 911.
• If a line falls on your car, stay inside the vehicle. Take care not to touch any of the metal frame of your vehicle.  Honk your horn, roll down the window and warn anyone who may approach of the danger. Call or have someone call 9-1-1. Do not exit the car until help arrives and advises you to do so, unless the vehicle is on fire. To exit, open the door, but do not step out. Jump, without touching any of the metal portions of the car's exterior, to safe ground and get quickly away.

• Keep both hands on the wheel and slow down.
• Watch for objects blowing across the roadway and into your path.
• Keep a safe distance from cars in adjacent lanes as strong gusts could push a car outside its lane of travel.
• Take extra care in a high-profile vehicle such as a truck, van, SUV, or when towing a trailer, as these are more prone to be pushed or even flipped by high wind gusts.
• If winds are severe enough to prevent safe driving, get onto the shoulder of the road and stop, making sure you are away from trees or other tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. Stay in the car and turn on the hazard lights until the wind subsides.