As Americans stock up on emergency essentials like water, batteries and flashlights, U.S. refiners and petrochemical producers stand ready for the weather.
Just as Memorial Day weekend marked the beginning of summer, June 1st marks the official beginning of the 2019 hurricane season. Meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are forecasting a “near normal” hurricane season with four to eight hurricanes predicted, while AccuWeather is calling for 12 to 14 storms, with as many as five to seven becoming hurricanes. In fact, the first Subtropical Storm of the season, Andrea, made its appearance last week.
While officials are urging people to begin to prepare now by stocking up on water, batteries, flashlights and other emergency essentials, our U.S. refiners and petrochemical manufacturers need no reminders — they live emergency preparedness every day. Continuous safe operation of our facilities requires being ready for a variety of potential emergency situations, hurricanes among them.
Not only do we develop comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, we also conduct our own and participate in strategic exercises to improve and streamline our emergency response. From making sure that resources are where they need to be in the event of supply disruptions, to regular communications and coordination with government at the local, state and federal levels, to ensuring our employees and communities have the supplies they need, our members stand ready to do what needs to be done to keep everyone safe.
Click here for our hurricane preparedness resources, as well as a video featuring AFPM president and CEO Chet Thompson and member companies discussing action taken around past weather events.
