How to prepare before a hurricane and protect your family:
Talk with your family about what to do if a hurricane strikes. Discussing hurricanes ahead of time helps reduce fear, particularly for younger children.
Ensure that every member of your family carries a Safe and Well wallet card which can be found on the Red Cross website.
Make sure you have access to NOAA radio broadcasts which can be found online at NOAA radio station. Search for a NOAA radio app in the Apple Store.
Purchase a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA radio online in the Red Cross Store.
Keep insurance policies, documents, and other valuables in a safe-deposit box. You may need quick, easy access to these documents. Keep them in a safe place less likely to be damaged if a hurricane causes flooding. Take pictures on a phone and keep copies of important documents and files on a flash drive that you can carry with you on your house or car keys.
Protecting Your Home:
Protect windows with permanent storm shutters or invest in one-half inch marine plywood that is pre-cut to fit your doors and windows.
Identify a place to store lawn furniture, toys, gardening tools and trash cans (away from stairs and exits) to prevent them from being moved by high winds and possibly hurting someone.
Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts to prevent flooding and unnecessary pressure on the awnings.
Remember that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding but flood insurance does. Get information at www.FloodSmart.gov.
For more information of Hurricane preparedness- see www.redcross.org.
