BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -
The 2012 hurricane season is officially a thing of the past.
"I think a lot of folks in South Mississippi are feeling kind of a sigh of relief," said American Red Cross Chapter Executive Jay Huffstatler.
Huffstatler said the season was anything but calm. With two category one hurricanes, Hurricane Isaac and Hurricane Sandy, there was devastation throughout the country.
"We hadn't had a major storm since Hurricane Gustav. So, we were kind of counting our blessings. But, we realized sooner of later we would have a hurricane," said Huffstatler.
August 28th, Hurricane Isaac made landfall. South Mississippi felt its presence. MEMA said Isaac caused 11-million dollars in infrastructure damage in Mississippi and flooded nearly 500 homes in South Mississippi. The American Red Cross was there.
"We had over 12,000 volunteers here. We are making sure that South Mississippi folks have a place to go," said Huffstatler.
As the recovery wheels for Isaac were in motion, people in the Northeast were struck by Hurricane Sandy, on October 29th. The storm caused an estimated 50 billion dollars in damages.
"We have sent from Mississippi 139 volunteers and we have got 11 ervs that deployed into the region," said Huffstatler.
People across the country are still recovering from these two storms. That's one of the reasons the season has been classified above average.
According to the National oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year's Atlantic hurricane season produced 19 named storms. The average is 12.
As that sigh of relief is taken, one thing is important to remember.
"Disaster can strike anytime, any day," said Huffstatler.
Relaxation is not possible without preparation.
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