June 1 (Bloomberg) -- The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army added volunteers and backup communications systems to improve relief operations as the eastern U.S. today enters a hurricane season forecast to spawn 10 major storms.

The Salvation Army stepped up training and strengthened community and corporate partnerships. The Red Cross plans to have six times the space to hold necessities to shelter and feed 1 million families in the immediate days following a storm.

Seven months after the end of the most active year since record-keeping began, aid groups and the U.S. government say they're better prepared to handle this year's storms. They face a daunting task as thousands of people are still dependent on services after Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,800 and displaced more than a million as it devastated the Gulf Coast.

``We're getting as ready as we possibly can,'' said Armond Mascelli, the vice president for domestic disaster response at the Red Cross.

The U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration last week predicted 13 to 16 named storms during this hurricane season, which lasts through Nov. 30.

As many as 10 storms may become hurricanes and four to six of those are expected to reach Category 3 on the five-tier scale of intensity, with winds of 111 to 130 miles per hour (179 to 209 kilometers per hour), said Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

Deadly

``We don't anticipate reaching or exceeding last year's record hurricane season,'' Lautenbacher said. ``The very thought of another hurricane strike on the U.S., especially the Gulf Coast, is a very real and troubling situation.''

The predictions top the average of 11 named storms during a North Atlantic hurricane season. Six storms typically become hurricanes, with two reaching wind speeds of at least 111 mph.

Last year was the most destructive and one of the deadliest seasons, with 28 named storms -- so many the agency turned to Greek letters to identify them after running through its alphabetical list. Seven hurricanes reached or exceeded Category 3 level and four made landfall in the U.S.

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma caused more than $100 billion in damage along the Gulf Coast last year, destroying casino hotels, oil refineries, homes, schools and more.

``We're still heavily involved with long-term recovery from Katrina,'' said John Berglund, head of the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services. ``Business as usual will be impacted for a long period of time.''

Criticism for All

New Orleans bore the brunt of Katrina's damage, with 80 percent of the city flooded; some parts of the city took on more than 20 feet of water.

``The models that the insurance industry had been using the last couple of years have been proven woefully inadequate,'' Michael Dion, an insurance analyst at Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP, said. ``Katrina spelled that out dramatically.''

All levels of response -- from federal agencies to the nonprofit groups -- were criticized as shelters such as the Superdome arena filled past capacity and security failed to keep people in check.

``None of the sectors were working well together,'' said Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. ``The NGOs had a tremendous amount of problems getting services when and where they were needed.''

The Red Cross, in particular, seemed to get bogged down in bureaucracy and had trouble coordinating with local and state agencies, Redlener said.

Misconceptions

Some of the criticism may stem from misconceptions about the agency's role in disasters, Mascelli said. The Red Cross isn't responsible for evacuating or rescuing people or establishing medical centers, he said.

``There was the expectation that the Red Cross would do some things that we don't do,'' he said. ``This year, we're making sure everyone's on the same playbook.''

The organization is strengthening its partnerships with government agencies and has set up an internal, satellite-based communication system to back up cell phones used by most members of the 21 chapters along the hurricane-prone Gulf and East coasts, Mascelli said.

Having equipment and supplies in place near areas where storms may hit will also speed the response, he said. The Red Cross plans to have 1 million square feet of warehouse space in place by July 1 to distribute supplies -- from food to cots and blankets to home clean-up kits -- to its shelters following a storm, Mascelli said.

As of last year, it was operating out of 11 warehouses for a total of 165,000 square feet, he said.

Training

The Salvation Army, which faced less criticism, put its emphasis on its training programs, particularly for its leaders, Berglund said. All volunteers must be registered and trained by the Army, pass background checks and have vaccinations, including hepatitis and diphtheria, Berglund said.

Some who volunteered to help last year were turned away because of health, security or training concerns.

The Salvation Army switched the focus of its training to catastrophic events like Katrina, instead of the smaller storms that are more typical, Berglund said.

The Red Cross, which had similar problems with turning away volunteers, has almost doubled its roster along the Gulf Coast to 50,000 people from 26,000, Mascelli said. More than 200,000 people volunteered with the Red Cross last year, and many said they would go through the training process, he said.

The Red Cross expects to spend $198 million rebuilding communities, while the Salvation Army outlined its $155 million two-year recovery program last month.

``We have to continue to be there,'' said Israel Gaither, national commander of the Salvation Army. ``Many of the people we're helping didn't expect to need our help.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Courtney Dentch in New York at cdentch1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 1, 2006 17:06 EDT