As Hurricane Dorian churned up the Eastern Seaboard this week after pounding the northern Bahamas with category five conditions and leaving catastrophic ruin in its wake, Islanders were paying sharp attention.

At press time this week, weather forecasters were calling for Dorian to brush past Martha’s Vineyard late Friday and into Saturday, well offshore but still packing the potential to lash the coast with tropical storm-force winds and rain.

Emergency managers had already begun to organize in the unlikely event that full mobilization is needed. The Steamship Authority alerted travelers that interruptions in ferry service were possible.

And while it appeared almost certain that Dorian would pass by, even the distant threat of a hurricane needs to be taken seriously.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs through October, and this is the season when unsettled weather patterns become the norm for coastal communities. The ferocity of Dorian should dispel any doubts that climate change is indeed delivering up storms of increasing frequency and intensity, as the most recent National Climate Assessment, a sobering report compiled by government scientists, plainly describes.

Whether it is Dorian or another storm further down the alphabet, whether it is this year or next year or the year after, it is inevitable that the Vineyard will find itself in the path of another major hurricane.

The last recorded hurricane on the Island was Bob in August 1991. Those who were here then can testify to scope of disruption caused by that storm, with widespread property damage and power outages that lasted for more than a week in some places — and Bob was just a category one.

In October 2012 when the remnants of Hurricane Sandy blew through, the Island was spared the brunt of the storm but flooding and property damage were nevertheless widespread.

Storm forecasting and emergency preparedness efforts have improved to the point that the Island at least will have better warning of the next hurricane when it eventually comes. Vineyard emergency managers meet regularly, and a regional plan is in place that includes opening a regional shelter in the event of a severe storm or disaster.

But the destruction wreaked by Dorian in the Bahamas and elsewhere suggests the worst case could be worse than we have yet planned for.

In the meantime, there are a few sensible precautions every resident should take ahead of any storm.

FEMA, MEMA and the National Hurricane Center sites all provide good hurricane preparedness information. When a storm threatens, the Gazette regularly posts updates and information on its website.

Stock up on water, nonperishable food, candles and matches, flashlights and batteries. Renew your prescriptions and check first aid supplies. Fill the tank of your car with gas, charge your cell phone and computer. Keep the yard picked up — loose clay pots and summer furniture still not packed away can become dangerous flying missiles in high winds.

If you own a boat, remember to stay in touch with your harbor master and be responsible about securing it in a storm. Boats adrift are not only at risk for loss, but they can pose extreme hazards to others at sea.

With storms so much a part of the fabric of life on an Island, there is widespread recognition that many people prefer — and are sometimes better off — sheltering in place, especially when roads are flooded or impassable. So check in on neighbors, especially if they are elderly or living alone.

As the full extent of the damage in that Caribbean archipelago becomes clear, Islanders are sending thoughts, prayers and aid to their Bahamian counterparts, hoping for a speedy recovery from the havoc caused by Dorian.