Preparing Your Home

Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed during Hurricane Season (June - November). Do not trim trees after a hurricane watch or warning has been announced. Trimmings could become dangerous projectiles.

If you have storm shutters, make sure they are county approved, and they work and fit properly. If you don't have shutters, or do not have the resources to install them, contact the American Red Cross for instructions on the correct way to install plywood coverings.

Taping windows will not protect your home.

Review Your Insurance

You should secure your insurance policy in advance. There are certain restrictions in which no application for insurance will be accepted or coverage increased once a tropical storm or hurricane is located within the boundaries of a determined "exclusion box" area on a hurricane tracking map.

Speak to your agent and ask these key questions:

-- Do I have replacement value coverage on all property, including contents?
-- What is the deductible?
-- Are there any exclusions?
-- Does the policy cover flooding, wind and storm damage?
-- Does the policy cover relocation or temporary housing?

Take photos of your home, inside and out, for documentation of its condition and contents.

Make copies of your policies.

Family/Friends With Special Needs

If the individual with special needs will not be staying with you and MUST evacuate, PRE-Register them NOW with a special needs registry maintained by your county's office of emergency management.

Make a list of prescribed medicines and plan to have a 30-day supply available. If you or a family member receives home health care, or requires electricity for life support equipment, make emergency plans with the individual's physician.

Purchase and set aside hurricane supplies.

Create an emergency supply kit. The kit should contain at least a three-day supply of food and water for each person in the home, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, a cell phone, extra phone batteries, and any prescription drugs each person in the family is taking.

Check the working condition of all emergency equipment such as generators, flashlights, battery-powered radios, etc.

Make a list of all important belongings.

Your Pet

Except for service animals, pets are not allowed in evacuation centers.

Check with your vet or kennel in advance for pet accommodation in case of a hurricane.

Check with family or friends who live in a secure area and ask if your pet would be welcome in their home during a hurricane.

Make sure your pet's vaccinations are up to date and that the pet is tagged with your current address and phone numbers. You should have current photos of your pets.

If you plan to stay in your home, keep enough pet food, water (one-half gallon per pet per day) and medications to last at least two weeks.

Once the storm has passed, take precaution when allowing your pet outside. Downed power lines, contaminated food or water, and unfamiliar scents may pose dangers.

Protecting Your Business

Make backup plans NOW by identifying and protecting vital records such as: articles of incorporation, computer software, accounts receivable, client records, tax records, other important personnel and administrative documents.

Identify when employees will be released from work as well as when they are expected to return.

You may want to follow the same return schedule as county and local government employees.

Make sure your insurance coverage is up to date.

Protecting Your Boat

Develop a plan well in advance! You can store a small boat with a trailer in a warehouse or your garage.

If you leave your boat outside, attach the trailer tongue to a firm spot in the ground, deflate the tires, and lash the boat to the trailer. Place boards between the axle and frame to prevent damage to the trailer springs.

If your boat is in a marina, read your contract carefully and check with the dockmaster for any new requirements.

Your insurance policy should include adequate coverage for damage that your boat may cause to other property.

Inventory all vessel equipment and keep a copy with your Hurricane Kit.

Identify safe harbors. Take a test run to a safe harbor NOW, checking route conditions and travel time. Keep in mind that district canals are NOT to be used during a hurricane.

Drawbridges DO NOT operate during evacuations.

Do NOT, under any circumstance, plan to "ride out" the storm on your boat.

Inside And Outside Your Home

INSIDE your home:

Establish a "Safe Room." This should be an interior room within your house, free of windows, or a room with very small windows like a bathroom. Make sure your safe room has a clear pathway to an exit.

Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings.

Turn off your gas appliances at their individual inside valves.

Freeze water in plastic jugs and use them to fill empty spaces in your refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cool.

Prepare an emergency water supply for bathing and sanitary purposes by storing water in clean airtight containers, including your water heater and washing machine.

Store valuables and personal papers in watertight containers and store them in the highest possible spot in your home.

OUTSIDE your home:

Put up your shutters or install precut plywood (per county or American Red Cross instructions) over all windows and glass doors.

Close all windows.

DO NOT drain your pool. Add extra chlorine to prevent contamination, and turn off electricity to pool equipment.

Bring all objects inside that can be blown away, including garbage cans, TV antennas, satellite dishes, lawn furniture, garden tools, and plants. Anchor objects that cannot be brought inside. If you don't have a garage or carport, park your car as close to the house as possible, away from trees.

Fill your car's gas tank early. After a hurricane strike, gasoline may not be available due to power outages.

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