Aug 11
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Hurricane Action Plan
Take Action
When a Hurricane Threatens
Depending on your location, you could be told to evacuate before a warning or even a watch is issued by the National Hurricane Center. Notify someone unaffected by the storm about your whereabouts.
No later than when a watch is issued:
Fill vehicles with gas.
Get extra cash.
Fill prescriptions.
For mobile homes, secure tie-downs and prepare to evacuate when ordered.
Bring in loose objects from outside.
Prepare to secure all windows with shutters or plywood.
No later than when a warning is issued:
Secure all windows with shutters or plywood.
Place valuables and important papers in a waterproof container and store on highest floor
of home.
If you are told to evacuate:
Follow all instructions from local officials, and leave immediately when told to do so.
Bring emergency supplies listed above.
Bring copies of important papers such as insurance policies and list and photos of your home’s contents.
Bring blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games.
Unplug appliances, turn off electricity and main water valve.
Lock windows and doors of your home.
Go!
If you are not told to evacuate:
Stay at home! Leave the roads available for those who must evacuate.
Clean bathtub with bleach, fill with water for washing and flushing (not drinking).
Set fridge to maximum cold and keep closed.
Turn off utilities if told to do so by local officials.
During a Hurricane
Go to an interior room on the lowest level of the structure in which you’re taking shelter.
Stay away from windows and doors, even though they’re covered with shutters or
plywood.
During extremely strong winds, lie under something sturdy such as a stairwell or large piece of furniture.
Do not go outside, not even during passage of the eye. If the eye passes directly over you, the winds could become very weak, but only for a very short period. It will not be long before hurricane-force wind resume, blowing from the opposite direction as before the eye arrived.
After a Hurricane
Help might not come for up to a few days, and power could be out for days or even weeks.
Avoid driving on roads covered by water and/or debris. It is often difficult to determine the depth of water covering a road. Turn around, don’t drown.
Avoid downed power lines. Stay away from objects that are touching a downed power line, such as a fence or tree.
Do not touch anything electrical if you are wet. Stay out of water that could be touching anything electrical, such as in a basement with electrical appliances, or in flooded areas outside where there could be downed power lines.
Only use a generator in an outdoor, well-ventilated area, and closely follow manufacturer’s instructions. Many people have died in the aftermath of a hurricane from inhalation of poorly ventilated carbon monoxide from a generator.
Use flashlights instead of candles for light. Candles pose a serious fire hazard.
