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Prepare for the Storm
Make sure you have a disaster plan considering the following:
- Know Your Risk
- Are you in a Hurricane Evacuation Zone?
- Do you know what zone you're in?
- Make a Disaster Kit
- Gather Supplies and essential documents:
- Banking information
- Cash/Credit/Debit cards
- Copies of wills/titles/passports
- Drivers License/ID
- Insurance documents
- Medical records
- Consider making an inventory of your household with a video device)
- Gather Supplies and essential documents:
- Keep Your Contact Information Up to To-Date
- Personal Contacts: Family, Friends
- Household Contacts: Banking, Insurance and Medical contacts.
- Think Ahead About Evacuation
- Determine if and when to evacuate
- Where will you go and how will you get there.
- Do You Have A Special Need?
- Consider disabilities or special medical needs that may require additional time, energy or resources to safely evacuate.
- Don’t forget about your pets!
- Pets entering a shelter with you are required to be current on all vaccinations and wearing proper identifying tag and rabies tag. Also, don’t forget an appropriately sized crate/carrier, food, collars, medications, toys and cleaning supplies/litter for your pet.
- A current picture of you and your pet is also suggested.
- There are two pet friendly shelters in the county, one in the north at Timberland Creek Elementary School (555 Pine Tree Lane, 32092) and one in the south at South Woods Elementary School (4750 SR to 206 W, 32033).
Review the Saffir-Simpson Scale for Hurricane winds:
- Category 1 – Sustained Winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour (mph): Very Dangerous winds will produce some damage; power outages are likely and could last a few to several days.
- Category 2 – Sustained Winds of 96 to 110 mph: Extremely Dangerous winds will cause extensive damage; near-total power loss is expected and could last several days to weeks.
- Category 3 – Sustained Winds of 111 to 129 mph (Hurricane Sandy): Devastating Damage will occur; electricity will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.
- Category 4 – Sustained Winds of 130 to 156 mph (Hurricane Joaquin): Catastrophic Damage will occur; power outages will last weeks to possibly months; most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months as well.
- Category 5 – Sustained Winds of 157 mph or greater (Hurricane Katrina): Catastrophic Damage will occur; a high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed; power outages will last weeks to possibly months; most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months as well.
Familiarize yourself with the following terms:
- Freshwater Flooding: Flood water from heavy and excessive rain can rise quickly making roads impassable. The National Weather Service recommends that if you see a flooded roadway, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown,” meaning that you should find an alternate route.
- Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions (sustained winds or 74 miles per hour (mph) or higher) are expected within the specified area within 36 hours.
- Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions (sustained winds or 74 mph or higher) are possible within the specified area within 48 hours.
- Storm Surge: Ocean water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around a hurricane or tropical storm. This storm surge can infiltrate inland bays and waterways as well.
- Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere in the specified area within 36 hours.
- Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are possible in the specified area within 48 hours.