Be Prepared For Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is just around the corner! Whether you are a home owner, renter or visiting coastal Carolina, it is good to be prepared and educated in the event of a hurricane. Hurricane season runs from June 1^st to November 30^th. Scroll to bottom for must-have supplies in your emergency kit.

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Living in a hurricane prone area, make sure to have a plan with your family. Have a meeting place and designate a coordinator to prep. Have a back-up if that person is unable. Everyone should know where the hurricane preparedness kit is and applicable safety items. When going over the plan with children, use visual aids and have them be part of the process by doing a scavenger hunt to locate all the emergency supplies so they know where everything is. Keep emergency numbers by the phones and in the emergency kit.

In the event you need to evacuate, know the nearest shelter and different routes how to get there. For pet owners, know which hotels allow pets and get farm animals to a safe place. If you have a service or emotional support animal, make sure to have your documentation on hand.

Hurricanes can be stressful for the whole family and there is a possibility of not having power, so to keep things light, have an entertainment kit with coloring books, games such as cross-words, Sudoku and trivia and pet toys for the fur babies!

Know the difference between a watch and a warning.

Hurricane Watch: The weather conditions will be winds up to 74 miles per hour. Between 39-73 miles per hour is typically the beginning of a tropical storm and experts tend to know about 48 hours before hand.

Hurricane Warning: Hurricane force winds are expected. Experts tend to have a warning out about 36 hours before storm winds are expected.

Home Prep: Clear your yard of décor and furniture. Any loose items should be secured such as bikes, grills, propane tanks, etc. Unhook swings/porch swings. Cover windows and doors with storm shutters or nail plywood to the outside. Make sure your windows and blinds are closed.

Know how to turn off your power. If there is flooding, downed power-lines or you need to evacuate, turn off your power if time allows. Never enter a flooded area with exposed/live wires.

Have filled water bottles on hand with clean water that can also be used for washing.

Check your CO and smoke detectors. Have extra batteries on hand.

Vehicle Prep: Have a full tank of gas. If sheltering in place, put car in garage or under cover if possible. Always have a 3-day emergency kit in the car.

It is possible that you may be asked to shelter-in-place if driving conditions are too dangerous or it is a milder storm. If this is the case, stay away from windows and listen for updates. Keep your emergency kit nearby and be prepared to evacuate.

If ordered to evacuate, listen to the evacuation warnings and do not stay home to protect it or belongings. Grab your emergency supply and unplug appliances. If time permits, turn off gas, electricity and water. Make sure to follow roads that emergency workers recommend as alternate routes may be blocked.

The Red Cross recommends the following supplies:

Water: One gallon of water per person, per day for a 3-day evacuation or for two weeks if sheltering in place at home.
Food: Non-perishable and easy to prepare plus can opener.
Fire-extinguisher– up-to-date
Flashlight(s)
Battery radio or hand-crank
Batteries
First aid kit
Personal medications/pet medications
Mutli-purpose tool/knife
Sanitation items such as wipes and hand sanitizer
Copies of personal documents (birth certificates, deed/lease, medical documents) – Have copies on hand in case you are unable to access digitally.
Charged battery for cellphone charger & car charger
Family emergency contact information (on paper)
Cash
Extra fuel
Generator
Baby & pet supplies