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Getting Ready For Hurricane Season Down The Shore

By KYW's David Madden

AVALON, N.J. (CBS) -- With June comes the start of hurricane season, a time for all of us to get ready for whatever Mother Nature may have in store this summer and fall. Down the shore, they hold an annual meeting for the locals.

Mayor Marty Pagliughi doubles as Cape May County's Director of Emergency Management. He knows what the weather professionals have prognosticated, but that doesn't matter.

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Pagliughi speaking at the (credit: David Madden)

"That's like a roll of the dice," said Pagliughi . "You get one forecast from the University of Colorado. You get another one from Rutgers. You get another one from Stockton. So it's sort of like we wait and see."

That said, a lot of warnings are going digital these days. You should stay abreast of things through local media, but that also includes smart phone apps on just about every front.

 

Residents are told to keep an emergency pack ready with meds, contact info and important papers in the event of an evacuation. Locals like Harry Clayton know the drill all too well, but that doesn't mean he can't learn a thing or two.

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(credit: David Madden)

"Crowds get bigger," he said. "There are other problems that crop up. We're talking about pets that we never did years ago. So as things evolve, you have to stay abreast with what's happening."

Tourists? Perhaps the best advice is to stay alert and if they tell you to leave, do it.

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