Miami, Florida—With Hurricane Ike projected to possibly affect the City of Miami, residents should be reminded to take proper precautions in case of a disaster. The first 72 hours after an emergency are the most critical as basic infrastructure, communications, and transportation systems may be inoperable or inaccessible. While the City stands ready to respond to an emergency situation if it occurs, available resources and when those resources become available will vary depending on the severity of the storm.

"Although hurricanes can be unpredictable and Miami has had the good fortune of not being impacted in the past couple of years, we must not be complacent," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. "Although the City's Departments engage in extensive emergency management training to respond to disasters, your health, safety, and quality of life in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane rely largely on your own preparation efforts."

Mayor Diaz urges the residents of the City of Miami to prepare during the weekend for a possible strike from Hurricane Ike and not wait until the last minute to gather supplies and protect their belongings and home. They City’s emergency management team will monitor Hurricane Ike closely over the weekend and prepare as needed.

In 2006, the City of Miami through its Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) Department, launched the campaign called "For 72, Help Us Help You" to provide city residents with important information and a checklist of items they should have before a disaster strikes. Among the list of items one should have are: one gallon of water per person per day; non-perishable food for each person in the household; baby supplies; cash; and a 2-week supply of prescription drugs.

Residents should also be aware that if a disaster should affect our community, updated information about important city services will be available by calling 311, logging on to the City's website www.miamigov.com, tuning into the City’s emergency radio station 1680 AM, and staying tuned to local television and radio media outlets.