Hurricane Safety Advice

Be Prepared BEFORE the Hurricane Season:
1. Know the storm surge history and elevation of your area.
2. Learn safe routes inland.
3. Learn location of official shelters.
4. Review needs and working conditions of emergency equipment, such as flashlights, battery-powered radios, etc.
5. Ensure that enough non-perishable food and water supplies are on hand to last for at least 2 weeks.
6. Obtain and store materials, such as plywood and plastic, necessary to properly secure your home.
7. Check home for loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
8. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Cut weak branches and trees that could fall or bump against the house. When trimming, try to create a channel through the foliage to the center of the tree to allow for air flow.
9. Determine where to move your boat in an emergency.
10. Review your insurance policy to ensure it provides adequate coverage.
11. Individuals with special needs should contact their local office of emergency management.
12. For information and assistance with the above, contact your local National Weather Service, emergency management office, or American Red Cross Chapter.

When a "Hurricane WATCH" is issued:
1. Frequently monitor radio, TV, NOAA Weather Radio, or hurricane hotline telephone numbers for official bulletins of the storm's progress.
2. Fuel and service family vehicles.
3. Inspect and secure mobile home tie downs.
4. Prepare to cover all window and door openings with shutters or other shielding materials.
5. Check food and water supplies.
6. Have clean, air-tight containers on hand to store at least 2 weeks of drinking water (14 gallons per person).
7. Stock up on canned provisions.
8. Get a camping stove with fuel.
9. Keep a small cooler with frozen gel packs handy for packing refrigerated items.
10. Check prescription medicines--obtain at least 10 day to 2 weeks supply.
11. Stock up on extra batteries for radios, flashlights, and latterns.
12. Prepare to store and secure outdoor lawn furniture and other loose, lightweight objects, such as garbage cans, garden tools, potted plants, etc.
13. Check and replenish first-aid supplies.
14. Have on hand an extra supply of cash.

When a "Hurricane WARNING" is issued:
1. Closely monitor radio, TV, NOAA Weather Radio, or hurricane hotline telephone for official bulletins.
2. Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately, if ordered to do so.
3. Complete preparation activities, such as putting up storm shutters, storing loose objects, etc.
4. Evacuate areas that might be affected by storm surge flooding.
5. If evacuating, leave early (if possible, in daylight).
6. Leave mobile homes in any case.
7. Notify neighbors and a family member outside of the warned area of your evacuation plans.

If Evacuating:
1. Plan to evacuate if you:
   1. Live in a mobile home. Do not stay in a mobile home under any circumstances. They are unsafe in high wind and/or hurricane conditions, no matter how well fastened to the ground.
   2. Live on the coastline or on an offshore island, or live near a river or in a flood plain.
   3. Live in a high-rise. Hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations. Glass doors and windows may be blown out of their casings and weaken the structure.
2. Stay with friends or relatives or at a low rise inland hotel or motel outside of flood zones. Leave early to avoid heavy traffic, roads blocked by early flood waters, and bridges impassable due to high winds.
3. Put food and water out for pet if you cannot take it with you. Public shelters do not allow pets nor do most motels/hotels.
4. Hurricane shelters will be available for people who have no other place to go. Shelters may be crowded and uncomfortable, with no privacy and no electricity. Do not leave your home for a shelter until government officials announce on radio and/or television that a particular shelter is open.

What to bring to a shelter:
1. first-aid kit;
2. medicine;
3. baby food and diapers;
4. cards;
5. games;
6. books;
7. toiletries;
8. battery-powered radio;
9. flashlight (per person);
10. extra batteries;
11. blankets or sleeping bags;
12. identification,
13. valuable papers (insurance), and cash.

If Staying in a Home: Reminder! Only stay in a home if you have not been ordered to leave. If you ARE told to leave, do so immediately.
Store water:
1. Fill sterilized jugs and bottles with water for a 2-week supply of drinking water.
2. Fill bathtub and large containers with water for sanitary purposes.
1. Turn refrigerator to maximum cold and open only when necessary.
2. Turn off untilities if told to do so by authorities.
3. Turn off propane tanks.
4. Unplug small appliances.
5. Stay inside a well constructed building. In structures, such as a home, examine the building and plan in advance what you will do if winds become strong. Strong winds can produce deadly missiles and structural fracture.

If winds become strong:
1. Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered. Take refuge in small interior room, closet, or hallway. Take a battery-powered radio, a NOAA Weather Radio, and a flashlight with you to your place of refuge.
2. Close all interior doors. Secure and brace external doors, particularly double inward opening doors and garage doors.
3. If you are in a two-story house, go to an interior first-floor room or basement, such as a bathroom, closet, or under the stairs.
4. If you are in a multiple-story building and away from the water, go to the first or second floors and take refuge in the halls or other interior rooms away from windows. Interior stairwells and the areas around elevator shafts are generally the strongest part of a building.
5. Lie on the floor under tables or other sturdy objects.

Be alert for tornadoes which often are spawned by hurricanes.

If the "EYE" of the hurricane should pass over your area, be aware that the improved weather conditions are temporary and that the storm conditions will return with winds coming from the opposite direction sometimes in a period of just a few minutes.

After the storm passes:
1. Stay in your protected area until announcements are made on the radio or television that the dangerous winds have passed.
2. If you have evacuated, do not return home until officials announce your area is ready. Remember, proof of residency may be required in order to re-enter evacuation areas.
3. Avoid using candles and other open flames indoors.
   Beware of outdoor hazards:
   1. Avoid downed power lines and any water in which they may be lying.
   2. Be alert for poisonous snakes, often driven from their dens by high water.
   3. Beware of weakened bridges and washed out roads.
   4. Watch for weakened limbs on trees and/or damaged overhanging structures.
4. Do not use the telephone unless absolutely necessary. The system usually is jammed with calls during and after a hurricane.
5. Guard against spoiled food. Use dry or canned food. Do not drink or prepare food with tap water until you are certain it is not contaminated.
6. When cutting up fallen trees, use caution, especially if you use a chain saw. Serious injuries can occur when these powerful machines snap back or when the chain breaks.