WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the beginning of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season upon us, hurricane prone states across the country are doing their part to help prepare their citizens and communities.  From sales tax holidays on hurricane and emergency preparedness equipment in Virginia and Louisiana, to a major hurricane exercise in Florida, states are taking actions to ensure that citizens and the emergency response community are prepared for the 2009 hurricane season.

"Across the country, we are working and communicating with our state and local partners to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "States are also taking it upon themselves to make sure their citizens and responders are prepared. These efforts will go a long way in determining the outcome of the next hurricane or disaster, and I applaud them."

Below please find examples of just some of the activities taking place in hurricane prone states.

Delaware: Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) is holding an evening of preparedness with the counties of New Castle and Wilmington at a minor league baseball game on Thursday, May 28. Throughout the game, preparedness slogans will be scrolled across the scoreboard with contact information for DEMA (dema.delaware.gov/). A group of Citizen Corps volunteers will distribute bags with a collection of preparedness materials to attendees before the game.

Florida: On May 28 and 29 and June 1-3, the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and county programs will conduct a week-long annual exercise to prepare for Hurricane Season. The exercise will be based on a catastrophic incident-it will follow the track of the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926. The hazards will be category 4 hurricane, possible tornados, flooding, and wind damage. This exercise will allow Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA and all Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners an opportunity to test new approaches and methodologies acquired from the 2008 Hurricane Season. For more information, please visit www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp.

Georgia: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is using its web site (www.gema.ga.gov) to highlight important information about hurricane Preparedness activities. In addition, GEMA's preparedness program, Ready Georgia (www.ready.ga.gov), is highlighting a different hurricane-related topic (storm surge, high winds and tornadoes, inland flooding, hurricane forecasting, and general preparedness) each day this week. GEMA will also participate in the 1st Annual Family Safety Day on May 30.Georgia Aquarium, in partnership with the World of Coca-Cola, and along with a number of law enforcement and public safety agencies, is hosting the 1st Annual Family Safety Day on May 30. GEMA's Ready Georgia program has been invited to participate and will promote Saturday's theme, Take Action. 

Louisiana: The 2009 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday will take place on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31. On these two days, shoppers can purchase specified emergency supplies free of the four-percent state sales tax in preparation for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1.

For more information, please visit revenue.louisiana.gov/.

Maine: The State of Maine is conducting the new FEMA course "Hurricane Readiness for Coastal Communities" in Acadia National Park, May 27 and 28.  See the link below for details.

www.maine.gov/mema/mema_news_display.shtml?id=71569 .

Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Emergency Management Association continues to release important information on hurricane season including preparedness tips for families, home owners, those with unique needs, pet owners, and information on sheltering-in place and evacuation through www.mass.gov/mema .

Mississippi: On Wednesday, May 27 through Friday, May 29 Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) staff will provide public tours of MEMA's Mobile Operations Command Center and distribute hurricane tracking charts and preparedness guides counties across the state. The Red Cross and local emergency managers will also participate. More details can be found by visiting: www.msema.org/.

New York: New York Governor David A. Paterson has issued a proclamation, proclaiming May 24-30 as Hurricane Preparedness Week in the Empire State. New York State Emergency Management Office and the emergency management offices of New York City and Nassau and Suffolk counties are conducting the annual all hazards emergency management conference May 27-28 in Melville, Suffolk County. This event traditionally draws professionals from the first responder, health-care and emergency management fields.  For more information on activities in New York, please visit: www.semo.state.ny.us.

Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency (PREMA) is reaching out to citizens to talk about the importance of the family Preparedness Plan, and othereas and important information for the hurricane season. More information can be found on www.gobierno.pr/AEMEAD/Inicio.

South Carolina: South Carolina is publishing and delivering an official South Carolina Hurricane Guide, which will be available in both English and Spanish to more than 700,000 residences and businesses beginning Sunday, May 31.  The Guide also will be posted on the Division web site, www.scemd.org.

Texas: Texas will host a Hurricane Summit May 27-28, to discuss the challenges of sheltering citizens and the demands it places on hosting jurisdictions. Jack Colley, the Chief of the Governor's Division of Emergency Management will be the master of ceremonies. Bill Read, Director of the National Hurricane Center and Mark Cooper chief of Louisiana Emergency Management will attend and discuss the evacuation of New Orleans.  They'll discuss re-entry task forces, volunteer assistance centers, agriculture strike teams, and enhanced public works teams, evacuations, and food bank operations, among other issues. For more information on what Texas is doing to prepare this hurricane season, please visit www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/index.htm.

Virginia: Virginia is holding a sales tax holiday on hurricane and emergency preparedness equipment from Monday, May 25 through Sunday, May 31. During this seven-day period, purchases of certain supplies and equipment needed for hurricane preparedness will be exempt from sales tax. For more details, please visit www.vdem.state.va.us/.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.