Is R.I. ready for Jose and other Atlantic storms?

Sept. 19--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- As Hurricane Jose roared 490 miles south of Nantucket Island on Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was making sure the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier was ready to hold it back.

The barrier's three 40-by-40 foot gates close to protect Providence's downtown from a storm-surging Narragansett Bay, as the pumping station pushes out the swollen Providence River and dikes hold back tidal flooding.

Aside from a low-pressure storm system during an astronomical high tide on June 23, the barrier hasn't been needed for a storm this season, said John MacPherson, civil engineer and deputy canal manager at the Army Corps of Engineers. "We've been fortunate that not many storms come up the coast," he said.

That could change this week, when Jose is expected to kiss coastal southern New England as a tropical storm, bringing wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, storm surge and three to five inches of rainfall. The hurricane barrier will be staffed Tuesday morning and possibly through Friday depending on storm surge, MacPherson said.

This is the heart of hurricane season, which lasts through November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a higher likelihood of an above-normal hurricane season, with 14 to 19 named storms, and says it could be the most active season since 2010.

That was the year Rhode Island was reminded about the lasting devastation of serious storms -- not by a hurricane, but by back-to-back torrential rainstorms. Major floods from Woonsocket to Westerly damaged buildings, washed out roads and forced the closure of sewage treatment plants. Rhode Island was declared a national disaster area.

Then came Superstorm Sandy in 2012, with lengthy power outages and destruction along the coast.

Peter Gaynor, the executive director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, said they've developed a variety of plans to combat the problems faced in those storms.

Power outages at healthcare facilities can be deadly for patients. Last month, EMA, the state Department of Health, and the Healthcare Coalition of Rhode Island debuted a playbook to help all healthcare facilities to safeguard their emergency power systems and get power restored quickly. Rhode Island is the first state with this initiative, Gaynor said.

Thousands of people were out of work during and after the 2010 floods, yet businesses weren't involved with the emergency response. Gaynor said that's changing. The Rhode Island Alliance for Business Resilience launched in May, with several major employers working with the EMA, the Fusion Center and Commerce Corporation on preparing and recovering from disasters.

This fall, all of Rhode Island's cities and towns should be "Storm Ready," a designation by the National Weather Service that sets goals for how communities inform and prepare for severe weather, Gaynor said.

Start with flooding, the most common natural hazard in Rhode Island. After the floods of 2010, the state EMA created a floodplain mapping tool for the entire state to show people the risks, said Melinda Hopkins, EMA's flood insurance planner. Enter an address into the mapping tool at http://www.riema.ri.gov/ to see whether the property is at risk for flooding or in a flood zone, and whether you should purchase flood insurance.

There are 15,000 structures in Rhode Island in flood zones. "Just because you're not on the waterfront doesn't mean you're not affected if there's a big enough storm," said Samantha Richer, planning branch manager.

Look ahead to the effects of storm surge and sea level rise with "STORMTOOLS," an online program by Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council with the URI Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant: http://www.beachsamp.org/stormtools/ The map shows areas in Rhode Island that are vulnerable to storm surge, how deep the water will be during a 100-year coastal storm and the impact of rising seas.

State and local emergency officials can plan for emergencies, but they can't control how people respond. The state's hurricane evacuation study found it will take 12 hours to evacuate Washington County on a touristy summer day -- if people are convinced to leave, Gaynor said. And if they know where they're going.

"My concern is that people are not going to be prepared," said Elizabeth McDonald, senior director of emergency services for the American Red Cross of Rhode Island. "My biggest worry is people don't have enough emergency kits and don't have a place to stay."

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