This is National Hurricane Preparedness Week: We Get More Warning Than Joplin Could, Miami, Let's Take Heed and Avoid Serious Injury and Death

Right now, in the midst of National Hurricane Preparedness Week, Miami joins the rest of America in watching the continuing massive destruction that the recent wave of huge thunderstorms and powerful tornadoes has caused throughout the Midwest.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States tornado death toll in 2011 is the highest ever through the month of May in the NOAA-NWS official record (1950-present).

Here in South Florida, we understand what it means to folk in Joplin, Missouri, and other hard hit areas: hurricanes and tornadoes are different, but the horrors they leave behind are the same.

The Joplin tornado exceed 200 mph and destroyed 30% of the town. You can watch the Associated Press video of the storm and its damage here. Right now, there are 232 names on the Joplin Missing List.

June 1st is the Start of Hurricane Season

Next week, the 2011 Hurricane Season begins. NOAA is predicting that we are going to have a higher than number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean this year. NOAA is predicting the following:

* 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:

* 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:

* 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)

Getting Ready Now for a Bad Hurricane Coming

Last year, on the eve of Hurricane Season we posted steps everyone should take to make sure they have adequate insurance protection on their homes, cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and themselves long before the weathercasters start predicting landfall of a storm.

To read that list of tasks you should undertake now, read our post "Hurricane Earl and Miami: Tips for Preparing Now 4 Hurricane Storm Damage Insurance Claims."

Hopefully, South Florida will escape the horrors that Joplin, Missouri, is dealing with today. However, it is best to be prepared for a huge hurricane: we're in the high risk area, after all.

Luckily, there are several sources of information online that you and your family should review now. They are both downloadable documents and short videos to watch, prepared by the National Hurricane Center as part of National Hurricane Preparedness Week.

Go check this stuff out -- it's easy stuff, and we need to be ready now. Unlike the tornado sweeping down on an unexpected Joplin, we're getting advance notice of the Big Storm Coming.

By Bryant Esquenazi on May 26, 2011 3:21 PM