Aside perhaps from a few ambitious storm chasers seeking to obtain a great video clip, few of us enjoy the thought of hurricane season starting.

But today is the official open to the six-month long 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

And now, before a storm is steaming into the Gulf, is the time to think through hurricane preparedness plans.

Although our community is inland enough to not have to worry about the devastating effects of storm surge and the worst of the winds, we are quite capable of seeing some significant impact both directly from severe weather and from the human factors that follow storms, too.

As Hurricane Katrina showed us in 2005, Natchez can quickly become a refuge for thousands and thousands of evacuees. If Katrina is any indication, our community is poised to quickly and efficiently handle those evacuees again, if required.

But our area can also be affected by the weather. Hurricane Gustav in 2008 showed us just how fragile our everyday conveniences are after high winds knocked out electricity all over the area.

We urge everyone to take a few minutes this week and think through your emergency plans and make a list of what you may need to do if a storm approaches our area.

A little preparation can prevent plenty of panic when the weather turns nasty.