US state gears up for Atlantic hurricane season

New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo Tuesday urged residents of the US east coast state to get fully prepared as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches.

While designating this week as the 'Hurricane Preparedness Week in New York State', Cuomo reminded New Yorkers of damage done by previous devastating hurricanes and urged them to review their family emergency plans and to checking on emergency supplies they have at home, in their cars and at work in case new powerful hurricanes strike, Xinhua reported.

"From hurricanes Sandy and Irene to tropical storm Lee, we have seen firsthand how mother nature can quickly disrupt lives and damage communities," Cuomo said. "Those storms taught us valuable lessons about the importance of planning ahead when a disaster strikes."

According to Jerome Hauer, commissioner, New York state division of homeland security and emergency services, the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends on November 30. Hazards from hurricanes come in many forms including storm surge, heavy winds and rain, inland flooding and even tornadoes.

Hurricane Sandy, which hit the shores of New York state in 2012, claimed the lives of 61 people and displaced more than 400,000 residents of New York City and Long Island.