TheAtlanticHurricaneSeasonofficiallybegins onJune1steveryyearandit’snevertooearlyto startpreppingforthepotentialimpactsof hurricanes.Whetheryoucallthecoasthome, livefurtherinland,orvisitthebeautifulbeaches forvacation,knowingwhattodoandhowto prepareforhurricanescanmakeallthe differenceifoneapproachesourareathis season.
Therearemanytipsthroughoutthisguideto helpwithhurricanepreparedness Oneofthe mostimportanttipswecanprovideisthis:Be suretofollowtrustedsourceslikeyourlocal NationalWeatherServiceOffice,county EmergencyManagementAgency,andlocal BroadcastMeteorologists Thiswillhelpreduce informationoverloadasweprovidelocalized informationsoyoucanenactyouremergency preparednessplansifnecessary.Youcanfollow theNWSMobile/PensacolaOfficeonsocial media@NWSMobileandonlineat weather.gov/mob.YourlocalNWSwillbehere foryoubefore,during,andafterthestorm, providingthelatestinformation!
Thisguidewillgiveyoutheinformationyou needtolearnthehazardsandimpactsof tropicalsystemsandwhatyoucandoto prepareforthem.
Weencourageyoutobeaforcemultiplierand sharepreparednessinformationwithloved ones,neighbors,andcommunitymembersso wecanallbereadyifahurricanethreatensour area.Calmperiodsofweatheraretheperfect timetoprepare!
Whetherthisyearisanactiveoraslowhurricaneseason,itonlytakesonestormtochange yourlifeandthefaceofyourcommunity.
OURHURRICANESEASONPLEA-WemustbepreparedfortheTOTALtropicalthreat Consider ALLofthepotentialthreatsfromhurricanestoyourcommunityandyourhome,notjustthe categoryofthestorm!
Thefirststepinpreparingforhurricanesistoknowyourrisk.Themoreyouknow,thebetter preparedyouwillbetoreactaccordinglytothepotentiallylife-threateninghurricanethreats. Findouttodaywhathurricane-relatedhazardscanhappenwhereyoulive.
Remember:HurricanesareNOTjustacoastalproblem.Impactsfromwindandwatercanbe felt100sofmilesinland.Significantimpactscanoccurregardlessofstormstrength.
Duringhurricaneseason,beaHEROandpass vitalinformationontheweather,shelters,and evacuationroutestoothers.YOUcouldbethe lifelinebetweenlovedonesandlife-saving information.Note:Alwaysensurethe informationcomesfromareliablesource.
Inadditiontous,makesuretofollowyourcounty andstateEmergencyManagementAgenciesandyourlocaltvmeteorologistsandstationson socialmediatostayup-to-dateonthelatestlocalforecastsandinformationduringhurricane season.
HURRICANESEASONREMINDER-Keepinmindthatyouwon’talwaysget5daystoprepare aheadofastorm.Here’salookatwhereallU.S.LandfallingCategory5Hurricaneswere5days beforelandfalland3daysbeforelandfall.
Takethisquiztofindoutifyou’rereadyforhurricaneseason!Be#HurricaneStrong!
Haveyouandyourneighborspooledresourcesandidentifiedwhohas itemslikeagrill,deepfreezer,generator,orchainsaw?Youmayhavea resourcethatneighborsmayneed,sosharingresourcesintheaftermathof astormcanhelpmany!
Doyouknowwhereyouandyourfamilywillgoiforderedtoevacuate?
Doyouhaveemergencyplansforyourpets?Mostsheltersdonotallowpets andmanyanimalclinicscloseiftheyareinharm’sway
Ifyoutakemedicine,doyouhavea7-daysupplyofmedicationsand prescriptions?Don’tforgetaboutotherfamilymembers’prescriptions,too.
Doyouhaveflashlightsandextrabatteries?Youwon’twanttorundown yourcellphonebatterybyusingitsflashlightfeature.
Doyouhaveatleasta3-daysupplyofdrinkingwaterandnon-perishable foodsavailable?Allowonegallonofwaterperpersonperday.
Willyouhavecashavailableduringpoweroutages?ATMswillnotwork duringpoweroutages.
Doyoualreadyhaveplywoodorothermaterialstoprotectyourwindows?
Isyourinsurancepolicyup-to-datewithnewvaluablesorhousing improvements?Considertakingphotosorvideosofyourbelongings.
Areyourfamily’spersonalrecordsandimportantdocumentsstoredina waterproofcontainer?
Doyouhaveagenerator?Evenatropicalstormcandisruptpowertoyour homeforseveraldays.
HowmanyYESresponsesdoyouhave?
9ormore Verygood!Youaremorepreparedthanmostpeople! 5to8 Nottooshabby Lookintohowyoucanimprovethisscore 4orless Let’sgetseriousaboutpreparingnow!Don’twaituntilastormdevelopsin theGulftoprepare
Hurricanesandtropicalstormsformoverwarmoceanwaters,likethosefoundintheGulf, typicallyduringthesummerandautumneachyear.
HurricaneseasonintheAtlanticbasinrunsfromJune1throughNovember30 TheAtlantic basinincludestheAtlanticOcean,theCaribbeanSea,andtheGulfofAmerica.Onaverage,14 tropicalstormsand7hurricanesdevelopintheAtlanticbasineachhurricaneseason.Thepeak ofhurricaneseasonoccursinAugustandSeptemberforourregionwithmostactivity occurringbetweenmid-Augustandmid-October.
Hurricanescanstrikeanymonthduringhurricaneseason.Sixteenhurricaneshaveeither directlyimpactedorproducedmoderatetomajorimpactstotheinteriorpartsofsoutheast Mississippi,southwestandsouth-centralAlabama,andnorthwestFloridasince1990.
Whilethegreatestdamageresultingfromlandfallinghurricanesortropicalstormsistypically alongthecoastwhichisclosesttothestrongestwindsandstormsurge;inlandareasalso experiencedestructivewinds,tornadoes,andfloodingfromheavytropicalrains
TheNationalHurricaneCenter(NHC)inMiami,FListheofficialsourcefortropicaladvisories andforecasts.NHCisresponsibleforissuingtropicalwatchesandwarningsfortheentire UnitedStates.
TROPICALWATCHESANDWARNINGS
NOTE:Hurricanepreparednessactivities becomedifficultoncewindsreachtropical stormforce,sowatchesandwarningsare issuedinadvanceoftheonsetoftropical stormforcewind(39-73mph)
Hurricane/TropicalStormWATCH: TropicalStormand/orHurricaneconditions arePOSSIBLEsomewhereinthespecifiedarea (typicallyissued48hoursinadvanceofthe onsetoftropicalstormforcewinds)
Hurricane/TropicalStormWARNING: TropicalStormand/orHurricaneconditions areEXPECTEDsomewhereinthespecified area(typicallyissuedupto36hoursin advanceoftheonsetoftropicalstormforce winds)
ExtremeWindWARNING(EWW): Shortduration warningforthe onsetofextreme sustainedwinds (115+mph) associatedwith theeyewallofa majorhurricane (NOTE:Thisis thefinalcalltoshelterinplace!!)
StormSurgeWatch/Warning: Possibility/Dangeroflife-threatening inundationfromrisingwatermovinginland fromtheshorelinesomewherewithinthe specifiedarea,generallywithin48/36hours.
COMMONTROPICALPRODUCTS
• TropicalWeatherOutlook
• PublicAdvisories
• ForecastDiscussions
• HurricaneLocalStatements
NHCFORECASTREMINDERS
TheNHCforecastconerepresentsthe5-year averageerrorandthecenterofthestormwill remaininthewhiteerrorcone67%ofthetime
TheforecastconeisNOTaconeofimpacts
REMEMBER:Hurricaneconditionscanbefelt 100sofmilesfromthecenterofthestorm
DONOTfocussolelyontheexactforecast trackortheskinnyblackline
DONOTwaitforaHurricaneWatchorWarning tobeissuedforyourlocationbeforeyoubegin toimplementyourinitialpreparedness preparations itmaybetoolate!
Stormsurgeisthewallofwaterpushedtowardtheshorelineasahurricanemovesashore. Stormsurgeisoftenthegreatestthreattolifeandpropertyfromahurricanealongourcoast.
Stormsurgeishighestnearandtotherightofwheretheeyeofthehurricanecrossesthe coast.Theadvancingstormsurgecombineswiththenormaltidetocreatewhatwerefertoas stormtide.
Wind-drivenwavesontopofstormtidecanleadtoextremefloodingincoastalareas, especiallyduringhightide,resultinginstormtidesreachingupto20+feetinsomecases.The riseinwaterlevelcancausesignificantdamagetostructuresalongtheimmediatecoast.
Coastalbuildingsthatsurvivehurricane-forcewindscanbeseverelydamagediftheir foundationsareunderminedorweakenedbyerosion.Addingtothedestructivepowerofsurge, batteringwavesmayincreasedamagetobuildingsdirectlyalongthecoast.
Ingeneral,themoreintenseahurricaneandtheclosera communityistothecenterorrightquadrantofa hurricane,themoredestructivethestormsurge.
Thoselivingonornearthecoastshouldknowthe evacuationzonefortheirresidence.Whenlocalofficials declareanevacuationforyourzone,movetothe nearestpossibleevacuationdestinationoutsideofthe dangerzone.
Whenofficialssayitistimetoevacuate…GO!Storm surgecanarrivewellaheadofthehurricanedueto long-periodswells.Don’twaituntilthelastminuteto evacuate.Lotscanbeforgottenifyoupackand evacuateatthelastminute,soitisimportantforyou andyourfamilytofigureoutthesedetailswellaheadof time.PlanAhead!
Thereareanumberoffactorsthat determinethestormsurgeforany locationalongthecoast:forward speedofthestorm,sizeofthe storm,angleofapproachtothe coastline,centralpressureofthe storm,coastalfeatureshape,and coastalfeaturecharacteristics, suchasbaysandestuaries.
1. Stormsurgeisoftenthegreatestthreattolifeand propertyfromahurricane.Itposesasignificant threatofdrowning.Sixinchesoffast-movingflood watercanknockoveranadult.Twofeetofrushing watertocarryawaymostvehicles,includingSUVs.
2. Stormsurgecancausewaterlevelstorisequickly andfloodlargeareas-sometimesinjustminutes, andyoucouldbeleftwithnotimetotakeactionif youhavenotalreadyevacuated
3. Stormsurgevaluesdonotcorrespondwelltothe hurricanewindcategories(Saffir-Simpson HurricaneWindScale)thatrangefrom1to5. Thesecategoriesarebasedonlyonwindanddo notaccountforstormsurge.
4. Tropicalstorms,hurricanes,majorhurricanes,and post-tropicalcyclonescanALLcause life-threateningstormsurge.
5. Stormsurgecanoccurwithnon-tropicalstorms likeNor’eastersandwinterstorms.
6. ManyareasalongtheGulfandEastCoastare vulnerabletostormsurge,includingareasseveral milesinlandfromthecoastline.
7. Stormsurgecanoccurbefore,during,orafterthecenterofastormpassesthroughanarea. Stormsurgecancutoffevacuationroutes,sodonotdelayleavingifanevacuationis orderedforyourarea.
8. Duringthepeakofstormsurge,emergencyresponderswilllikelyNOTbeabletoreachyouif youareindanger.
9. Evenifyourcommunityisnotdirectlyaffectedbystormsurge,itcouldexperienceother hazardsfromthestormsuchasimpassableroads,waterandsewageproblems,andpower outages.Ifpowerremainson,downedelectricalwirescanposeanelectrocutionrisk.
10.Weatherconditionsandtheforecastcanchange.Localofficialscanissueevacuationsfor manydifferentreasons.Alwaysfollowtheinstructionsoflocalofficials.
Whenitcomestohurricanes,windandstormsurgeareonlypartofthestory.Heavyrainand theresultinginlandfreshwaterfloodingareequallyasdangerousanddestructive.Therewere 442directfatalitiesintheUnitedStatesfrom2013-2022andfreshwaterfloodingwas responsiblefornearly57%ofthosedirectfatalities
Heavyrainisnotdirectlyrelatedtotheintensityofatropical stormorhurricane.Someofthehighestraintotalsoccurred duringweakerstormsthatslowlydriftedorstalledoveran areaforhoursordays.
Slow-movingtropicalstormsandhurricanescanproduce tremendousamountsofraininashortperiodoftime.This oftenresultsindisastrousflooding,whichcanbeamajor threattocommunitieshundredsofmilesinlandfromthe coastline.
PRACTICALWAYSTOPROTECTYOURSELFFROMFLOODING:
• BuyFloodInsurance-APlanforReplaceableItems
•FlooddamageisNOTtypicallycoveredbyhomeowner’s insurance
• ProtectYourPersonalDocumentsandSpecialItems
•Storevaluablesinplastictubswithlockingtops
•YouneedtobeabletosecureandmoveALLyourvaluables within15minutesincaseofalast-minuteevacuation
• MinimizeFloodDamageBy“FloodProofing”YourHome
•Knowhowtoshutoffthemaincircuitbreakertoeliminatethe threatofelectrocution
•Raiseoutsideairconditioningunitsontoplatforms
•Storerarelyused/expensiveitemsintheatticoronhighshelves
• DevelopaFloodEmergencyPlan
•Determineifyouliveinafloodzone
•Haveanevacuationplanwithalternateroutes
•Communicatetheplanwithfamilyandfriends
• IfAdvisedtoEvacuate,DoSoIMMEDIATELY
•Stayup-to-dateonlocalroadconditions
•Movetoasafelocationbeforeaccessiscutoffbyfloodwaters
• NeverDriveAcrossFloodedRoadsOrAroundBarricades!
•Donotattempttocrossflowingwateronfootorinavehicle
•Neverdrivethroughthewaterifyoucannotseetheroador roadmarkersasitmaybewashedaway
•Abandonthevehicleandseekhighergroundifcaughtinrisingwater
Ripcurrentsarepowerful,narrowchannelsofwaterflowing awayfromthebeach.Thinkofaripcurrentlikethis-itisa naturaltreadmilltravelingawayfromthebeach.Arip currentisdangerousbecauseitcansweepeventhe strongestswimmersouttosea.Forthatreason,ripcurrents arelife-threateningtoanyoneenteringthesurf.Whilerip currentscanformatanytime,theyarelikelytobepresentin thehighwindsandroughseasthataccompanytropical stormsandhurricanes.
BEACHGOERSSHOULDSTAYOUTOFTHEWATERWHENA STORMISAPPROACHING.
Atropicalstormorhurricanedoesnothavetodirectlyaffect ourareaforripcurrentstodevelopalongourcoastline. AnytimeatropicalsystemisintheGulf,largeswellsandhigher-than-normaltidescan producedangerousripcurrentsalongthebeaches.Asaresult,beachgoersareatriskof gettingcaughtinaripcurrenteveniftheskiesareclearanditisabeautifulbeachday.
IFCAUGHTINARIPCURRENT:
•Staycalm;don’tfighttheripcurrent
•Swimparalleltothebeachtoescapetheripcurrent
•Ifyoucannotescape,fliponyourbackandfloat
•Waveandyellforhelp
BothFloridaandAlabamausethe5flagsystemtoalertbeachgoersofsurfconditions.Flags arepostedatallpublicbeacheswheresurfconditionsandripcurrentsaremonitored throughouttheday.REDFLAGSmeanconditionsarelife-threateningtoanyoneenteringthe surf.Insomelocations,itisillegaltoenterthewaterwhenDOUBLEREDFLAGSarebeingflown.
Hurricane-forcewindsof74mphorgreatercandestroybuildings,mobilehomes,powerlines, andtrees.Debrissuchassigns,roofingmaterial,andsiding,aswellassmallitemsleftoutside, becomedangerousflyingmissilesduringahurricane.
Thewindsassociatedwithahurricaneare mostintensenearthecenterofthestorm, inaregioncalledtheeyewall.Asa hurricanemovesinland,thestrongwindsin theeyewallbegintodecrease,but hurricane-forcewindscanstillbefelt150+ milesinlandfromthecoast.
GENERALRULE-OF-THUMB:
Thefasterthe hurricaneismoving,thefurtherinlandthehurricane-forcewindswillbeexperienced.Don’tlet yourguarddownsimplybecauseyoudon’tliveinacoastalcounty!
Atlantichurricanesareclassifiedinto5categories accordingtotheSaffir-SimpsonHurricaneWindScale, whichestimatespotentialpropertydamage accordingtothehurricane’ssustainedwindspeed.
Keepinmindthatthecategoryofthehurricanedoes nottellthewholestoryanddoesnottakeintoaccount anyotherhazardsassociatedwiththehurricanesuch asthepotentialforstormsurge,flooding,tornadoes, orripcurrents WemustbepreparedfortheTOTAL tropicalthreat.
Tominimizedamagefromthewind,itiscriticaltoensurethatyourhomeiswellconstructed.
MOBILEHOMERESIDENTSMUSTEVACUATE!
Mobilehomes,manufacturedhomes,RVs,campers, andtinyhomesdoNOTprovideasafeshelterfromhurricane-forcewinds.Strapsandother tie-downswillnotprotectamobileormanufacturedhomefromhighwindsassociatedwitha hurricane Residentswholiveinthesetypesofhomesmustevacuatewhentoldtodosoby localauthorities.
Whenmakinglandfall,thereisalwayssomeuncertaintyintheexactintensityandlandfall locationofthestorm.Itisimportanttoweighthisuncertaintyagainstthepotentialrisksto yourselfandyourfamily.Itiscommonpracticeforemergencymanagersandlocalofficialsto addabufferorsafetymargintotheirplans-oftentimesplanningforastormthatmakes landfallonecategoryhigherthanforecast.Thisisanecessaryprecautiontoreducetheriskof lossoflifeandminimizethepotentialimpactofthestorm.Itisessentialtoincorporateabuffer orsafetymarginintoyourhurricaneseasonpreparations!
Hurricanesandtropicalstormscanproducetornadoes!Tropicaltornadoesareoftentimes embeddedinthunderstormsthatarelocatedintheouterrainbandsofthestorm,usuallyaway fromthecenterofthestorm.
Tropicaltornadoesaremostlikelytooccurintheright-front quadrantofastormasthisareagenerallyhasthebest combinationofwindshearandinstability.
Nearly70%oflandfallinghurricanesproduceatleastone tornadoandsomeevenspawntornadooutbreaks.In2004, HurricaneIvan,whichmadelandfallalongtheAlabamaGulf Coast,spawned117tornadoesovera3-dayperiod!
Whiletornadooutbreaksareless tropicalstorms,itisimportantto arepossibleoncetheouterrainb moveonshore.Notethattropica coastalproblemastheycanimp milesinland.Tropicaltornadoes asthemovementofthesetornad directiondifferentfromsupercell tornadoesmovewiththeouterra movementissometimestothen
Tropicaltornadoesaretypicallyweak(EF0-EF1)andshort-lived.Tropicaltornadoesare typicallylessintensethantornadoesproducedbysupercellthunderstormsduringsevere weatherseason,butwhenaddedtothelargerareaofhurricane-forcewinds,thesetropical tornadoescanstillproducesubstantialdamageandpotentiallybedeadly.
AfterTropicalStormClaudetteinJuneof2021, NWSsurveyteamsfoundtornadodamage consistentwitha22+milelongEF-2tornado thatgreatlyimpactedtheEastBrewton communityinEscambiaCounty,AL,and pointsnorthwardintoConecuhCounty,AL.
TORNADOSAFETYTIPS:
Putshoesonwhen takingshelter,soyoudon’twalkondebrisin barefeetifyourhomeishit.Useahelmetto protectyourhead.Gotothelowestfloorofa building.Getunderasturdytableora stairwell.Coverupwithblanketsandpillows.
NOAAWeatherRadioAllHazards(NWR)istheofficialvoiceoftheNational WeatherService.NWRprovidescontinuouslyupdatedweatherinformation, 24hoursaday,365daysayear.Watches,warnings,advisories,forecasts, currentconditions,andclimatedataarebroadcastin3-5minutecycles
AspecialradiocapableofreceivingsignalsintheVeryHighFrequency(VHF) publicserviceradiobandisrequiredtolistentoNWRbroadcasts 7frequenciesfrom162400to 162.550MHzareused.Weatherradioscanbepurchasedatmostelectronicsstoresandonline. Pricesoftheseradiosvaryanddependonthetypeofradio.
NOAAWeatherRadioisusefulatanytimebutbecomesespeciallyimportantduringhazardous weather.Watchesandwarningsaregiventhehighestprioritywithfrequentupdates.NWSisa majorpartoftheEmergencyAlertSystem(EAS)thatdisseminateswarninginformationrapidly throughcommercialbroadcastoutlets.Inanemergency,eachNWRstationwilltransmita warningalarmtonefollowedbyinformationontheemergencysituation.Thissignaliscapable ofactivatingspeciallydesignedreceiversbyincreasingthevolumeorproducingavisual and/oraudiblealarm.Notallweatherradioshavethiscapability,butallweatherradioscan receiveemergencybroadcasts
ThesemapsshowthelocationsofNOAAWeatherRadiotransmitterslocatedinourarea.
HOMEPREPARATIONTIPSFORHURRICANESEASON
MOBILEHOMES
•Checktie-downsforanyrustorbreakage
LANDSCAPING
•Trimtrees,shrubs,anddeadlimbs,especiallynearyourhome
•Repairorreplacebrokenordamagedfences
•Shreddedbarkispreferredforlandscapinginsteadofsmall gravelorstonebedding
ROOFING
•Inspectyourroofforloosetiles,shingles,ordebrisand considerreplacingoldordamagedshingleswithnewones ratedforhurricane-forcewinds
•Checkandinstallhurricaneclipstosecurerooftrussesto sidewalls
•Clearcloggedrainguttersanddownspouts
DOORS
•Reinforcegaragedoorsandtracksorreplacewithahurricanetestedgaragedoor
•Reinforcedoubleentrydoorswithheavy-dutyfootand headbolts
•Useasecuritydeadboltwitha1-inchminimumbolt length
•Doorscanbeshuttered,butoneentrymustbeleft easilyaccessible
WINDOWS
•Inspectexistingshutterstoensuregoodconditionand/or installtestedormanufacturedhurricaneshutters
•Alternative:Use ⅝ inchorgreaterexteriorgradeplywood securedby2½inchscrewsorspecialclips.Obtainwood andfasteners;cutwoodtosize(labelingpieces);pre-drill holes;placeanchorsonhome
•Storeshuttersorplywoodlyingflattoavoidsignificant warpingwhennotinuse
PROTECTINGYOURBOAT-TIPSFORBOATOWNERS
•Checkyourmarinacontractforanyhurricane proceduresandpolicies
•Checkwithyourboatmanufacturerfortheproperway tosecureyourboatduringatropicalstormorhurricane
•Considermovingarrangementswellinadvance
•Trailerboatsshouldberemovedfromthewaterand securelystoredatleast48hoursbeforeatropicalstorm orhurricaneisexpectedtomakelandfall
•Purchasethenecessaryhurricanematerials:additional mooringlines,crewanchors,fenders,fenderboards, chafinggear,andanchors
•Safestormmooringsshouldconsistofgood-condition ropesofsufficientdiameterandlengthwithatleast3-4 substantialanchorpoints
•DoNOTmoorparalleltothebankasrecedingtides oftenbreachand/orcapsizeboatsinthistypeof anchorage
MARINESAFETYRESOURCES: www.hurricanes.gov/prepare/marine.php
AUTOMOBILETIPS
•Itisimportanttohaveyourvehicleservicedregularly andensureitisingoodworkingordertoensureitis readyforuseincaseyouneedtoevacuate
•Keepafullgastankinyourvehicle(orfullycharged)if anevacuationseemslikely
•Makeanemergencykitspecificallyforyourvehicle, includingjumpercables,flashlight,cellphonecharger, firstaidkit,water,snacks,etc.
Youmustplanaheadtoensureyoucanproperlycareforyourpetsduringaweather emergencyorevacuation.Yourplanshouldincludeallfamilymembers,includingpets!
AFEWPLANNINGSUGGESTIONS
• TAKEYOURPET Ifyoumustleavehome,takeyour petwithyou.Youarethebestpersontocareforyour pet.ThinkAboutIt:ifthesituationisdangerousfor you,thenit’sdangerousforyourpet.
• WHERETOTAKEYOURPET—Knowwheretotakeyour petbeforeyouleave.Findoutwhichmotelsorhotels are“petfriendly”oracceptpetsinanemergency. Plantogotoafriendorrelative’shousewhowill allowyoutobringyourpet
• CRATE Beforeyoutravel,makesureyourpetis accustomedtobeinginacrate.Familiarsurroundingscanhelpeaseanxietyinyourpet.Don't forgettopacktheirfavoritetoysandtreatstomakethemfeelmorecomfortable.
• DISASTERKIT Alwayspackyourpet’sfood,medicines,vaccinationrecords,andpet insuranceinformation.Assemblethisintoadisasterkitthatyoucanquicklygrab.
• PRE-ARRANGEMENTS Ifyougetstuckawayfromhome,yourpetwillbebetteroffifyou madepre-arrangementswithaneighbororfriendtotakecareofyourpet.Thistemporary caretakerneedsalistofphonenumberstoreachyouandinstructionstoproperlycarefor yourpet.Yourinstructionsshouldincludeasignedauthorizationforveterinarycareand financiallimitstotheveterinarycare.
• BEHAVIOR Emergenciescancausepetstodisplayunexpected oruncharacteristicbehaviors.Well-behavedpetsmaybecome aggressiveanddefensiveafteramajordisruptionintheirlives. Yourpetmaynotreturntoitsusualbehaviorforseveralweeks. Usecautionwhenreleasingyourpetafterastorm,especiallyin unfamiliarsurroundings,andensureyourpetcannotescape.Do notreleaseyourpetoutsideuntilyouknowtheareaissafe.Allow yourpetplentyoftimetorestandadapttonewsurroundings If possible,provideyourpetwithfamiliartoys. FEMAPETPREPAREDNESS: www.ready.gov/pets
□Water Atleast1gallondailyperpersonfor 3-7days
□Food—Enoughforatleast3-7days
•Non-perishablepackagedorcannedfood andjuices
•Foodforinfantsortheelderly
•Snackfoods
•Cookingtools,fuel,non-electriccanopener
•Paperplates,plasticutensils
□Blankets,Pillows&Bedding,etc.
□Clothing
•Seasonal
•Raingear
•Sturdyshoes
□FirstAidKit,Medicines,Prescriptions
□SpecialItems-Itemsforbabiesandthe elderly
□ToiletriesandHygieneitems
□Moisttowelettes,garbagebagsandplastic tiesforpersonalsanitation
□ItemsforChildren
•Toys
•Books
•Games
□PetCareItems
•Properidentification,immunizationrecords, medications
•Amplesupplyoffoodandwater
•Carrierorcage
•Muzzleandleash
□NOAAWeatherRadio—Batteryoperated
□Flashlight&Batteries
□Keys
□Vehiclefueltanksfilled
□Tools-Keepasetwithyou
□Cellphone—Fullychargedcellphonewith anextrabattery(non-cordlesstelephone set)
□Cash(smallbills)—BanksandATMs maynotbeavailableforextended periods
□CreditCards
□ImportantDocuments-Placethese documentsinawaterproofcontaineror watertightresealableplasticbag
•Insurance
•Medicalrecords
•Bankaccountnumbers
•SocialSecuritycard
ACTIONSTOTAKEWHENASTORMISINTHEGULF
□Listentoradio,TVandaNOAAWeatherRadioforforecastsofthestorm’sprogress
□Double-checktheitemsinyouremergencysupplykitandensurenothinghasexpired
□Fuel/chargeandserviceyourvehiclesasgasstationsmaycloseearlyorrunoutofgas
□Inspectandsecuretie-downsforamobileormanufacturedhome
□Makesuretohavesuppliestosurviveforatleast72hours,preferablyuptooneweek
□Boardupwindows(ifnoshutters),butdonotusetapeasitprovidesnoprotection
□Storelawnfurnitureandloose,lightweightobjectslikegarbagecans,plants,tools
□GetplentyofextracashincasethepowergoesoutasATMswillnotwork
□Storevehiclesthatarenotbeingused
□FollowinstructionsissuedbylocalofficialsandEVACUATEIMMEDIATELYIFORDERED
FINALACTIONSTOTAKE(IFLEAVING)
□Turnoffpropanetanks
□Unplugsmallappliancesandturntherefrigerator/freezertothecoldestsetting
□Turnoffutilities(water/gas/electricity)ifordered
□Notifyfamilymembersandclosefriendsofyourevacuationplansandroute
□Lowerthewaterlevelintheswimmingpoolbyonefoot
□Lockyourhomesecurely
□Boardthedoorsandbracethegaragedoor
□Takeyourpetswithyou
FINALACTIONSTOTAKE(IFSTAYING)
□Moveyourvehicletoasafespotifnotusingittoevacuate
□Closestormshutters
□Turntherefrigeratorandfreezertothecoldestsettingandonlyopenitifnecessary (NOTE:25poundsofdryicekeepsa10-cubicfootfreezerbelowfreezingfor3-4days)
□Followinstructionsfromlocalofficialsandbepreparedtoturnoffutilitiesifordered
□Boarddoors(leavinganemergencyexit),bracethegaragedoor,andremaininside,away fromboardedwindows
□Takerefugeinapre-determinedsaferoomlikeaninteriorcloset,bathroom,orhall
□Bewareofthecalmwindintheeyeofthestorm-donotventureoutsideasthestrongest windsmayoccurshortlyaftertheeyepasses
Dangersremainevenaftertheskiesturnblue.ThisisNOTthetimetoletyourguarddown.
Emergencyrespondersmaybeoverwhelmed,soitcouldtakehoursordaysforthemtoreach yourarea.Duringandafterastorm,expectservicestobedisruptedforanextendedamountof time.Bereadyforpowerandphoneserviceoutages,roadsblockedbyfloodwatersanddebris, andwater/seweroutages.Phonecallsmightbedifficult,ifnotimpossible,duetotheimpacton communicationsystems.Communicateviatextorsocialmediainstead.
Listentolocalauthorities.Afterahurricane, returnhomeonlyafterlocalauthorities adviseitissafe.Waitfortheofficial ALL-CLEARbeforeattemptingtoreturnand bepreparedtoshowproofofresidence.
DEBRISCLEAN-UP-Don’tpushyourself! Strainingyourbodycanleadtoheart attacks,heatstrokes,andotherserious issues.Performcleanupsslowlyandtake lotsofbreaks.Checkonyourelderlyneighborsandothervulnerablepeopleinyourcommunity.
Wearappropriateprotectivegearsuchasboots,gloves,andsafetyglasseswhenitcomesto movingdebrisintheaftermathofastorm.DoNOTattempttomovestructuralsupportsor largepiecesofdebrisafterthestormandBECAREFULusingheavy-dutytoolslikechainsaws.
FLOODWATERS
-Watchyourstep!Donotgointoaroomwherewatercoverstheelectrical outletsorwherecordsaresubmerged.Floodwatersoftenhidesharpanddangerousdebrislike brokenglassandshardsofmetal.
Handsoff!Stayawayfromelectricalutility equipmenttopreventbeingelectrocuted. Seesparksorhearbuzzing,crackling, snapping,orpoppingnoises?Getout!Stay outofwaterthatmayhaveelectricityinit.
Don’tplayinthefloodwaters-theycan containchemicalsorobjectsthatcould harmyouormakeyousick.Youneverknow whatishiddenorfloatinginthewater(debris,gators,snakes,nutria,orevenfloatingfireants).
Becautiousinareaswherethefloodwatershavereceded.Roadsmayhaveweakenedand couldcollapseundertheweightofavehicle.Neverdrivethroughfloodedroads,evenifyouare seekingsuppliesortryingtocheckonsomeone.
Afterahurricane,primaryelectricalpowerwilllikelybeoffforhoursifnotdaysorweeks.During thistime,manypeopleuseportablegeneratorstorunessentialutilitiessuchaslighting,air conditioning,andrefrigerators.
Eachyearpeopleareinjuredorkilledinincidentsrelatedtoportablegeneratoruse.The primaryhazardstoavoidwhenusingaportablegeneratorarecarbonmonoxide(CO) poisoningfromtheengineexhaust,electricalshockorelectrocution,andfire.Alwaysfollowthe directionssuppliedwiththegenerator.
GENERATORUSAGETIPSFORWHENADISASTERSTRIKES:
• NEVERuseportablegeneratorsindoors(this includesagarage,basement,carport, crawlspace,oranenclosed/partially-enclosed area(evenifithasventilation)
•Usingfansoropeningwindows/doorsdoesnot preventthebuildupofCOinyourhome
•Evenifyoucannotsmellexhaustfumes,you maybeexposedtoCO
•Ifyoufeelsick,dizzyorweakwhileusinga generator,getfreshairRIGHTAWAY!
• PlacethegeneratorAWAYfromwindows,doors,ventsthatallowCOtogetindoors
• Keepthegeneratordryanddonotuseitintherainorwetconditions
•Onlyoperateageneratoronadrysurfaceunderanopencanopy-likestructure(suchas underatarpheldupbypoles)
•Dryyourhandsbeforetouchingthegenerator
• Turnthegeneratoroffandletitcooldownbeforerefueling
• Plugappliancesdirectlyintothegeneratororuseaheavy-duty,outdoor-ratedextension cordthatisratedatleastequaltothesumoftheconnectedapplianceloads(thecordmust befreeofcutsortearsandplugmusthavethreeprongs/groundingpin)
• Neverpowerthehousebypluggingthegeneratorintoawalloutlet(knownas“back feeding”)-thisisextremelydangerousasitposesanelectrocutionrisktoutilityworkersand neighborsservedbythesameutilitytransformer
GENERATORSAFETY:
www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/power-outage/ safe-generator-use.html
IFEVACUATED,WAITFOR“ALLCLEAR”FROMLOCALOFFICIALSBEFORERETURNINGHOMEAND BEPREPAREDTOSHOWPROOFOFRESIDENCE.
GENERAL
□Becautiousofstructuraldamageanddownedtreesand/orpowerlines-donotmove structuralsupportsorlargepiecesofdebris
□DONOTrunpowergeneratorsindoorsandensuretheexhaustiswellventilated
□DONOTuseopenflamesindoors
□Restrictdrivingtoemergenciesonly-roadconditionsmaybeunsafe
DEBRIS
□Citiesandcountieswillprovideascheduleandinstructionsfordebrispick-upandremoval (NOTE:debrisusuallycannotberemovedfromprivateproperty)
□Constructionmaterials,vegetativedebris,householdhazardouswaste,andhousehold appliancesneedtobeplacedintoseparatepilesandmovedtothecurbforpick-up
WATER
□Usebottled,boiled,ortreatedwateruntilyouknowthatyourwatersupplyissafe
□Youcanuseregular,unscentedchlorinebleachtotreatwaterfordrinkingorcleaning NOTE:Add1/8teaspoonofbleachpergallonofclearwater(¼teaspoonofbleachpergallonif thewateriscloudy)andallowwatertostand30minutesbeforeusing
UTILITIES
□Checkforgasleaks-DONOTuseaphoneorturnonlightsinyourhomeandifyousmellor heargasleaking,leaveimmediately!(Callthegascompanyfromaneighbor’shouse)
□Reportanyvisibledamagetoelectricallinestothepowercompanyandturnoffthepowerat themainbreakerifanyelectricalequipment/circuitswereexposedtowater
□DONOTconnectageneratortoyourhome’selectricalcircuits(NOTE:ifageneratorisonline whenelectricalserviceisrestored,itisamajorfirehazard)
SEWAGE
□Ifyoususpectwaterorsewagelinesaredamaged,donotuseplumbing(toilets,sinks)and contactthewatercompanyoraplumber
INTERIORCLEANUP
□Disinfectanddryinteriorbuildingsandinsideitemstopreventthegrowthofbacteria,viruses, mold,andmildew
□Cleanwalls,floorsandcountertopswithsoapandwater(NOTE:Disinfectwithasolutionof1 cupbleachto5gallonsofwater)
□Washclothesinhotwater,sprayunwashableitemswithdisinfectantandairdry,steamclean carpets,andthrowoutitemstouchedbywaterthatcan’tbedisinfected
RESOURCESFROMNWSMOBILE/PENSACOLA
LocalTropicalOne-Stop-Shop: www.weather.gov/srh/tropical?office=mob
HurricanePreparednessYouTubePlaylist: wwwyoutubecom/playlist?list=PLZcEBOTgZxbyyj1cA1A5j-CW 4TTQuWWA
HurricanePreparednessVideos(ASL): www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmmZXiHXwuM&list=PL34exzZIOEfECIvkbaTtsy36jJw0hQKp7
2024EvacuationZoneList: hurricanestrong.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/9-10-24-Find-Your-Evacuation-Zone-Final. pdf
COASTALALABAMA—EMERGENCYMANAGEMENTAGENCIES
StateofAlabama: wwwemaalabamagov
MobileCounty: wwwmcemanet
BaldwinCounty: www.baldwincountyal.gov/EMA
NORTHWESTFLORIDA—EMERGENCYMANAGEMENTAGENCIES
StateofFlorida: www.floridadisaster.org
EscambiaCounty: www.myescambia.com/beready
SantaRosaCounty: www.santarosa.fl.gov/emergency
OkaloosaCounty: www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/ps/emergency-management
StateofMississippi: www.msema.org
