2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season Preparation Tips

[4GHoward]

It is the time of year when Hurricane Season is approaching, so I thought it would be a good idea to provide some helpful preparation tips for everyone living in a Hurricane Zone. The official start of Hurricane Season is June 1, 2012.

 

Here are some tips to prepare for a hurricane, severe flood or other natural disasters:

• Build an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. You may want to prepare a portable kit and keep it in your car in case you are told to evacuate. This kit should also include a pair of goggles and disposable breathing masks for each member of the family.
  
• Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
  
• Continually monitor the media – Be aware of storm's which could impact your area.
  
• Know how you will be warned in an emergency (NOAA Weather radios with a tone alert are a good option).
  
• Know if you live or work in a flood prone area. Check with your local emergency management for details.
  
• Know where to shelter (ie: basement, interior room/hall, bathroom, closet, etc) if conditions warrant and where shelters in your area are located.
  
• Ensure your home is ready – Elevate items in the basement which could be flooded. Bring in outdoors items such as children's toys, patio furniture, garbage cans, etc which could be blown around and damaged. Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage.
  
• Know how to shut off utilities, including power, water and gas, to your home. Have proper tools (i.e.: wrench) ready and nearby.
  
• Find out what types of events and kinds of damages are covered by your insurance policy. Keep insurance policies, important documents and other valuables in a safe and secure location.
  
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand and make sure everyone knows how to use them.
  
• Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged, but be aware that an interruption of wireline and commercial power could affect wireless calls.
  
• If possible, get extra batteries and charge them.
  
• In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your wireless phone should enable you to recharge the battery.
  
• Keep phones and necessary accessories in a sealed plastic bag to avoid water damage.
  
• Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone.
  
• Use your cell phone to take digital pictures or video of your property and valuables before the storm hits. Upload the images to other devices so you have pictures before in the event of any storm damage.
  
• Wireless networks sometimes experience heavy traffic during emergency events, so remember to send text messages instead.
  

Hurricanes can be tracked online through websites such as

National Weather Service, Weather Channel, and AccuWeather.

 

Source:

FEMA Hurricane Preparation

Sprint Hurricane Preparation

[themuffinman]

Most people in hurricane areas never take this kind of advice seriously until the hurricane is 24 to 36 hours away which is just sad. I guess it also depends on experience as well. I was born and raised in the virgin islands so I know what its like to face multiple hurricane threats every single year. Anyway, to all of our members that are on the coastal areas and caribbean, it always pays to be ready. Remember, its always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[S4GRU]

Most people in hurricane areas never take this kind of advice seriously until the hurricane is 24 to 36 hours away which is just sad. I guess it also depends on experience as well. I was born and raised in the virgin islands so I know what its like to face multiple hurricane threats every single year. Anyway, to all of our members that are on the coastal areas and caribbean, it always pays to be ready. Remember, its always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

 

I lived in Florida during my High School years. I don't miss that anxiety. I like it here in New Mexico. Just outside of the tornado and earthquake belt, and way outside the hurricane belt.

 

Robert

[gopher_otis]

It's so boring here in FL, I'm looking forward to this hurricane season. The last few were meh..

[themuffinman]

I lived in Florida during my High School years. I don't miss that anxiety. I like it here in New Mexico. Just outside of the tornado and earthquake belt, and way outside the hurricane belt.

 

Robert

 

Well at least in Florida you had the option to evacuate inland by driving where you needed to go if need be, where as in the islands you had no where to evacuate to.

 

It's so boring here in FL, I'm looking forward to this hurricane season. The last few were meh..

 

Be careful what you wish for.

[themuffinman]

It's so boring here in FL, I'm looking forward to this hurricane season. The last few were meh..

 

Also to add, many forecasters are saying that it should be a quiet season for hurricanes but I think it will be the opposite. This year the weather has been crazy with the insanely warm winter, early spring, so many tornados, and not to mention that it seems like the of weather we are getting for the month of may is more of a late june early july type of weather. I think this season will be worse than average for sure.

[danielholt]

i lived in orlando for 27 years... duck and cover is all i got to say.

[david279]

I'm from new Orleans, if we get another I'll be forced to stay because of my job. Firefighter. Sending the wife and son up north. Hell with the dog. Yes that's the plan.

 

Sent from my EVO 4G LTE