News

Emergency Preparedness: Hurricane Season

It’s hard to believe but June is only a couple of weeks away and if you’ve lived in Florida long enough you should know that means the start of hurricane season. So my questions to you is, are you ready? Here at the facility we are always ready for a disaster or an emergency. That is why we conduct drills to make sure everyone is ready and is aware of what to do during an emergency. As a guide we have an emergency operations plan to use during a disaster. But are you ready at home? Some people think they are when they really are not, so here are a few things for you to keep in mind when you are preparing your personal emergency plan.

First thing is to Build A Kit: In your kit you should have a gallon of water, food, prescriptions and other supplies per person per day for in your household. So if you have 4 people in your household you should have at least a 10 day supply of food and water per person.

Second: Make a family plan: A lot of people don’t do this, but choose an out of town friend or relative as point of contact. Decide on a meeting place in case you cannot return home and become separated for any reason. Keep important phone numbers with you at all times.

Assess your sheltering needs: Identify where you will shelter in case you are ordered to leave your home, and share the location with your family members even the ones out of town.

Protect your pets: Just like your family members make sure you have at least 10 days of water, food and anything else to make your pet comfortable. Have a collar with identification tag. Make sure your pet is kept inside your house or a predetermined safe location. If in a shelter, pets will be taken to a reserved space. Certified pets are allowed to stay with their owners for emotional support. So if your pet is an emotional support animal make sure you have proper paperwork with you at all times.

Be Financially prepared: Anticipate out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, food, gas and more. Also, whether you are a homeowner or rent, contact your insurance agent to ensure you have adequate coverage for housing, car and flooding. Keep some cash handy, in large and small bills. If you need to save a few dollars each week and spread out you’re shopping for your 10 days’ worth of supplies.

Finally Stay Informed: Listen for up to date information from the local media, they will provide evacuation and shelter details. Make sure you have a battery powered radio and extra batteries on hand. Download the FEMA app on to your phone to receive weather alerts. Therefore if you do these few simple things you can keep your family safe and not be stressed out when an actual storm hits the area. For more information on hurricane season preparedness visit: http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4339/hurricane-preparedness

Alana Maloney

Business Office Manager/Safety Coordinator