WEST TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - Hurricane season begins tomorrow on the East Coast, and with all the recent flooding and devastation in the Midwest, experts hope we’ll take it seriously.

Forecasters are expecting a more active than normal hurricane season, and Mary Goepfert, external affairs officer for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, says you should gather necessary items now.

“Typically we do have a problem with utilities, so it’s always good to have flashlight and batteries, a radio that has batteries so you can find out what’s happening in the news, some nonperishable foods,” she tells KYW Newsradio.  “Typically, water systems are affected, so have bottled water.”

SPECIAL INTERACTIVE:  2011 Hurricane Season

If you are on any medications, put some of those in your rapid-getaway kit, and know where to meet up with other family members if your area is evacuated.

The hurricane season lasts through November, with most of the activity here in August and September.

Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio 1060