Weather Safety - Hurricanes

Before the hurricane season

• Know the hurricane risks in your area.
• Learn safe routes inland.
• Learn location of official shelters.
• Review needs and working condition of emergency equipment, such as flashlights, battery-powered radios, etc.
• Ensure that enough non-perishable food and water supplies are on hand.
• Obtain and store materials, such as plywood, necessary to properly secure your home.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed.
• Determine where to move your boat in an emergency.
• Review your insurance policy.

During the storm

  When in a watch area...

• Frequently listen to radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins of the storm's progress.
• Fuel and service family vehicles.
• Inspect and secure mobile home tie-downs.
• Prepare to cover all window and door openings with shutters or other shielding materials.
• Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.
• Prepare to bring inside lawn furniture and other loose, light-weight objects, such as garbage cans, garden tools, etc.
• Have on hand an extra supply of cash.

  Plan to evacuate if you...

• Live in a mobile home. They are unsafe in high winds, no matter how well-fastened to the ground.
• Live on the coastline, an offshore island, or near a river or a flood plain.
• Live in a high-rise. Hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.

  When in a warning area...

• Closely monitor radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins.
• Complete preparation activities, such as putting up storm shutters, storing loose objects, etc.
• Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if told to do so!
• If evacuating, leave early (if possible, in daylight). Stay with friends or relatives, at a low-rise inland hotel/motel, or go to a predesignated public shelter outside a flood zone.
• Leave mobile homes in any case.
• Notify neighbors and a family member outside of the warned area of your evacuation plans.
• Put food and water out for a pet if you cannot take it with you. Public health regulations do not allow pets in public shelters, nor do most hotels/motels allow them.

  If staying in a home...

• Turn refrigerator to maximum cold and open only when necessary.
• Turn off utilities if told to do so by authorities.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Unplug small appliances.
• Fill bathtub and large containers with water for sanitary purposes.

  If winds become strong...

• Stay away from windows and doors, even if they are covered. Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway.
• Close all interior doors. Secure and brace external doors.
• If you are in a two-story house, go to an interior first-floor room, such as a bathroom or closet.
• If you are in a multi-story building and away from water, go to the first or second floors and take refuge in the halls or other interior rooms away from windows.
• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.

  Be alert for...

• Tornadoes which often are spawned by hurricanes.
• The calm "eye" of the storm. After the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force.

After the storm

• Keep listening to radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio.
• Wait until an area is declared safe before entering.
• Roads may be closed for your protection. If you come upon a barricade or a flooded road, turn around and go another way!
• Avoid weakened bridges and washed out roads. Do not drive into flooded areas.
• Stay on firm ground. Moving water only 6 inches deep can sweep you off your feet. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
• Check gas, water, and electrical lines and appliances for damage.
• Do not drink or prepare food with tap water until you are certain it is not contaminated.
• Avoid using candles and other open flames indoors. Use a flashlight to inspect for damage.
• Use the telephone to report life-threatening emergencies only.
• Be especially cautious if using a chainsaw to cut fallen trees.

Hurricane Tracking Chart