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9 <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family and community <br /> disaster planning now and throughout the year. The theme of this year's National Preparedness <br /> Month is "Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love." <br /> Following 2020, North Carolina has continued to experience an unusually high volume of <br /> disasters, to include the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, winter weather, severe weather <br /> (including tornadoes), and infrastructure disruptions. So far this year, Orange County has <br /> experienced multiple watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service for severe <br /> weather, flooding, and tornadic activity. The 2021 Hurricane Season continues to be above- <br /> normal in predictions for both severity and frequency of storms. <br /> Kirby Saunders, Emergency Services Director, said Governor Cooper switched <br /> Preparedness Month to August for North Carolina because hurricanes were continuing to <br /> impact the state in September, but September is still National Preparedness Month. He invited <br /> the Interim Emergency Management Coordinated, Sarah Pickhardt, to speak. <br /> Sarah Pickhardt reviewed the background information for this item. She said North <br /> Carolina and Orange County continue to experience a high volume of disasters, including the <br /> coronavirus pandemic, winter weather, severe weather, tornados, and infrastructure <br /> disruptions. She said the 2021 hurricane season is being watched closely and expected to be <br /> more severe than normal. She thanked the Board for its ongoing commitment to preparedness <br /> Commissioner Fowler read the proclamation: <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> PROCLAMATION <br /> September 2021 - "Orange County Preparedness Month" <br /> WHEREAS, it is critical for every community, business, family, and individual in Orange County <br /> to be prepared for natural and man-made disasters, including tornadoes, flooding, and <br /> hurricanes, as well as disease outbreaks like COVID-19; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County has seen a high activity of severe weather— in 2020, the National <br /> Weather Service issued 13 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, 4 Flash Flood Warnings, 4 Flood <br /> Warning, and 3 Tornado Warnings; and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County experienced an estimated $1.2 million in estimated damages from <br /> severe weather in 2020; and <br /> WHEREAS, in 2018, Hurricane Florence brought significant rainfall in September, and was <br /> followed by Tropical Storm Michael in October, with both storms causing widespread power <br /> outages and flooding, and Florence resulting in more than $26 million in damages while Michael <br /> exceeded $500,000; and <br /> WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the Chair to the Board of County Commissioners declared a <br /> State of Emergency to coordinate the County's response and protective actions to address the <br /> COVID-19 public health emergency and provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the <br /> Orange County community; and <br />