Hurricane Preparation

• Before hurricane season, plan how you'll protect your property. Install permanent storm shutters for windows and doors or buy 5/8-inch marine plywood and cut it to fit your windows. Measure each window from outer jamb to outer jamb and add 8 inches to provide ample space for securing the plywood to the house. Use clips or straps to fasten the roof to the frame to reduce potential roof damage. Trim the trees and shrubs in your yard to reduce debris. Firmly re-attach any loose downspouts and clean rain gutters. Build or install a safe room or storm shelter.
  
  

During the Storm

• When the National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch, secure your home by closing shutters and securing or bringing inside yard furniture and other loose objects. Set the refrigerator to its coldest temperature and keep the door closed. Turn off any propane tanks. Fill bathtubs, sinks, and jugs with clean tap water. If the drinking water supply becomes contaminated or the water supply gets cut off, use your stored water. Moor any boats you own. When thunderstorms begin or the hurricane moves in, do not use the phone except for emergencies. Listen to your radio or watch local television for weather and emergency information. Turn off utilities If the authorities order it.
  
  

Preparing for Evacuation

• When weather reports say the hurricane will head your way, gas up the car. Keep a full tank in the car you will use for evacuation. Power outages could render gas stations inoperable. Place your emergency kit in an easy-to-access area on the way to the car. If you don't own a car, make arrangements to catch a ride with friends or contact local government to find out about public transportation options. Unplug all electrical equipment in the structure except the refrigerator and freezer.
  
  

Evacuating

• When local authorities order an evacuation, leave immediately and follow designated evacuation routes. Let someone outside of the evacuation area know where you are going. Even if authorities do not order an evacuation, move to an inland, permanent structure if you live in a temporary structure, trailer, RV or mobile home. Do not try to ride out the storm in any of these types of structures since they are not securely attached to a foundation. Also, move to an inland, permanent structure if you live in a high-rise building, in or near a floodplain or river, on the coast, or on an inland waterway. Wear boots or tennis shoes, long pants, long-sleeved shirt and hat or cap to provide protection from the elements. Take a battery-powered radio or weather radio with you to keep abreast of evacuation instructions and weather updates.
  
  

If You Can't Evacuate

• If you can not evacuate, move to your storm shelter, also known as a safe room. If you don't have a storm shelter or safe room, stay inside in an interior room without windows or glass doors on the lowest level. Secure and brace external doors, then close interior doors. Close all windows, curtains and blinds until authorities report the storm has passed. A lull in the storm may indicate the eye of the storm is passing over you. The winds will resume, continuing the danger of debris breaking the glass. Lie on the floor under a heavy, sturdy table or desk.
  
  

After the Hurricane

• If you evacuated, return to your home only when authorities say it is safe to do so. If your home has been badly damaged, do not stay there. Hire a licensed contractor to make repairs and stay elsewhere, for instance with family, friends, in a hotel or in a shelter.