Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage because of storm surge, wind damage, and flooding. They can happen along any U.S. coast or in any territory in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Storm surge is historically the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States. 

How Can You Prepare for a Hurricane?

• Know Your Hurricane Risk
• Make An Emergency Plan
• Know Your Evacuation Zone
• Recognize Warning And Alerts
• Get Tech Ready
• Gather Supplies
  
  

  Stay Informed And Safe During A Hurricane:

• Pay attention to emergency information and alerts.
• If you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to evacuate, do so immediately.
  
  For more information on hurricane weather click here                    .

Flooding 

Flooding is a temporary overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. Failing to evacuate flooded areas or entering flood waters can lead to injury or death.

Floods may:

• Result from rain, snow, coastal storms, storm surges and overflows of dams and other water systems.
• Develop slowly or quickly. Flash floods can come with no warning.
• Cause outages, disrupt transportation, damage buildings and create landslides.

IF YOU ARE UNDER A FLOOD WARNING, FIND SHELTER RIGHT AWAY

• Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!
  °Just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.

• Stay off of bridges over fast-moving water.
  Depending on the type of flooding:
  °Evacuate if told to do so.
  °Move to higher ground or a higher floor.
  °Stay where you are.
  
  For more information on flooding click here.
  
  

  • Pet Preparedness:

    Where we go, they go. When we evacuate, they evacuate with us. They are an important planning factor and present us with a different slate of challenges and conditions.
    Below are tips that will help you prepare your furry family members for a disaster.
    
    All hazards can be dangerous to pets, much as they can be to humans. Think through what hazards may apply to you and your family, and how they impact your pet. Hazards could include, but are not limited to the following:
    
    
  • Flooding
    1. Think through where you’ll go in the event of a flood, and where your pet would go. Can your pet swim if water rises rapidly?
  • Severe weather, thunderstorms
    1. Could your pet be impacted by severe weather and a loss of power?  
    2. Excessive periods of heat or cold can also affect your pet, so make sure to limit their time outside if the temperatures are extreme.
  • Excessive heat or cold
    1. Excessive periods of heat or cold can also affect your pet, so make sure to limit their time outside if the temperatures are extreme.
    2. Never leave your pet unattended in a locked car. 
  • House/Barn Fires
    1. Alert first responders that you have a pet in the home, if your pet has not left the home.
    2. Tip: Many sites offer decals for your doors and windows which you can use to indicate that a pet lives in the residence. Here’s a link to a free one, as an example: https://secure.aspca.org/take-action/order-your-pet-safety-pack.
    3. Barns often contain flammable materials such as dry hay, bedding, and wood so make sure to take steps to avoid barn fires, such as having your electrical appliances checked regularly and enforcing a no smoking policy in or near the barn. 
  • Hurricanes
    1. Think through your emergency plan and where you’ll evacuate with your pet. If you’re sheltering in place, consider where you’ll go and make sure to bring your pet with you. 
  • Tornadoes
    1. Bring your pet with you to a safe location while you shelter in place. Identify a room basement, storm cellar or safe room, or a small interior room on the lowest level of your building. Keep yourself and your pets away from windows, doors and outside walls.
       
       

       Make a Pet Emergency Plan:

       • ID your pet. Make sure your pet’s tags are up-to-date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his tag is his ticket home. Also consider microchipping your pets.
       • Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
       • Make a pet emergency kit.  Download Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners for a full list of items to include in your pets kit.
         
         Check out this quick list:
         Pet food
         Bottled water
         Medications
         Veterinary records
         Cat litter/pan
         Manual can opener
         Food dishes
         First aid kit and other supplies
         
         Identify shelters. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to allow pets well in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers.
       • Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.