With an average hurricane season predicted for 2011, expected to include 16 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, AT&T announced that it is prepared to respond quickly if a storm strikes Florida.

Keep your cell phone close at hand during a hurricane.

"Palm Beach County has been tested by inclement weather and hurricanes in the past and AT&T has always been quick to respond and restore service to impacted communities," said Kelly Starling, an AT&T spokesperson located in North Palm Beach. "Our northern Palm Beach County customers rely on us to be prepared and keep them connected during emergencies, and we are committed to fulfilling those needs."

Recent wireless network upgrades included adding mobile broadband capacity of cell sites in northern Palm Beach County, as well as adding a couple of new sites in northern Palm Beach County, she added. “We also doubled wireless capacity on our DAS (Distributed Antenna System) inside the Gardens Mall.”

AT&T's Global Network Operations Center monitors and maintains AT&T's global networks 24/7, and its Network Disaster Recovery organization conducts readiness drills and disaster simulations throughout the year to ensure that networks are prepared and personnel are ready to respond in a moment's notice.

AT&T offers the following recommendations for consumers in preparation for this year's hurricane season.

• Be sure you have a "hurricane phone." It's a good idea to have a wireless phone on hand and at least one corded (landline) telephone that is not dependent on electricity in case of a power outage..
• Have a family communication plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know who to contact if they become separated. Most important, practice your emergency plan in advance.
• Program all of your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and
• Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage, such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone batteries on hand.
• Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
• Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as voicemail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
• Camera phones provide assistance. If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos - even video clips - of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.
• Take advantage of location-based mapping technology, which can help you seek evacuation routes or avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines, as well as track a family member's wireless device in case you get separated.

Content provided by AT&T.