Hurricane Ike Spurs Preparedness for Entire Gulf Coast

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Hurricane Ike has already caused devastation and the loss of life on Haiti, the Bahamas, Cuba and other Caribbean islands and prompted evacuations on the Florida Keys. Now authorities on the Gulf Coast are preparing for the storm to make landfall on the U.S. mainland.

Ike is currently expected to make landfall somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and the Texas Gulf Coast. Louisiana, which is still recovering from Hurricane Gustav, is left with the task of cleaning up from one hurricane while preparing for the possibility of a second.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reminds people that preparedness for a hurricane, or any disaster, should always include disaster plans for pets and livestock. The AVMA's Disaster Preparedness Series provides step-by-step information that veterinarians, pet owners, and others can use to ensure the health and well-being of people and animals during and after a disaster. For more information on the series, visit www.avma.org/disaster. For additional information on disaster preparedness, visit www.ready.gov.

For more information about local hurricane preparation efforts and evacuation plans in advance of the storm, the AVMA is offering these links to information:

• Florida—visit the Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com, and the Florida governor's Web site at http://www.flgov.com/media_center.
• Mississippi—visit the Jackson Clarion-Ledger at www.clarionledger.com, and the governor's Web site at http://www.governorbarbour.com/.
• Alabama—visit the Mobile Press-Register at www.al.com, and the governor's Web site at http://governor.alabama.gov/news/news.aspx.
• Louisiana—visit the Times Picayune at www.timespicayune.com and the Louisiana governor's Web site at http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=home&navID=3&cpID=0&catID=2
• Texas—visit the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.com, and the governor's Web site at http://governor.state.tx.us/.
• Georgia—visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at www.ajc.com, and the governor's Web site at http://gov.georgia.gov.

People wishing to help are encouraged to be sure that any organization they donate money to is not just a political organization but one that uses donations to actually help save, treat and house animals and those who take care of them during emergencies. The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is one such group, offering grants to help fund disaster preparedness efforts, educating the public, providing disaster training, and reimbursing veterinarians for their out-of-pocket expenses on medical supplies, and also offering grants to help rebuild veterinary clinics destroyed in a disaster like a hurricane. Make donations to the Animal Disaster Relief and Response Fund by calling the AVMF at (800) 248-2862, ext. 6689 or visit www.avmf.org.

Source: www.avma.org