It's that time again here in South Florida. Are you ready for what the season may bring? Do you know what you need to do to prepare, or if a hurricane hits?
Hurricane season is officially from June 1 - November 30th. But, as history has shown, hurricanes, or tropical storms, can hit at any time outside these parameters. August to October is seen as the peak season.
Know what types of threats come with a hurricane.
Having a plan is one of the best things you can do for hurricane preparedness. The National Hurricane Center has a great list of things to do to prepare:
Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.
Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.
Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.
Check your insurance coverage - flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.
Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.
Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.
--> The National Weather Service has the penultimate website for all updates and tracking of tropical storms and cyclones. Go to The National Hurricane Center and bookmark this site, or better yet, you can add it to your RSS feed so you can receive updates easily. You can also view this site from your PDA or cell phone.
Let's hope this year we are cyclone free, but if not, being excellently prepared for any potential strong weather patterns!
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