Since this year’s hurricane season officially got under way June 1, now is a good time to remind all your drivers about the importance of maintaining a roadside emergency kit in the vehicle during all road trips. Even if your fleet vehicles never enter hurricane country, disaster preparedness is essential for all drivers in all regions. 

The Minnesota Safety Council and Auto Club Group recommend the following basics for roadside emergency kits:

• booster cables 

• cell phone and car charger (but do not talk on that cell phone when driving!) 

• fold-up shovel 

• tow rope and bungee cord 

• sand or kitty litter 

• flashlight with extra batteries 

• first aid kit 

• emergency flares 

• non-perishable food like energy bars and bottled water 

• blanket or sleeping bag 

• multipurpose tool (screwdrivers, pliers, knife, etc.) 

• duct tape.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said there's a 70% chance of nine to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, four to eight are expected to strengthen to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher).