Obama: Government ready for hurricane season

WASHINGTON — President Obama said Tuesday the government is prepared for the hurricane season that opens on Wednesday, and the American people should be ready as well.

"If your local authorities say that you need to start evacuating, you need to start evacuating and get it done," Obama told reporters after receiving his annual hurricane preparation briefing at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

People also need to prepare for bad storms by having "a fully stocked disaster supply kit" and personal evacuation plans at the ready, the president said.

Obama also made a pitch for his climate change policies, saying that warming of the earth is generating "more powerful and more devastating" hurricanes and other kinds of storms.

While states have the lead in addressing weather disasters, Obama said, FEMA and other federal agencies are in a position to assist.

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"Government plays a vital role, but it is every citizen’s responsibility to be prepared for a disaster," Obama said.

He added: "We can't control the weather, but we can control our responses to it."