Hurricane Elsa

Author: danielkilburn 2021-07-02 0 Comments

Today the National Hurricane Center has upgraded hurricane Elsa to a category one hurricane.

Following the current hurricane track, we can expect Elsa to be hitting the Gulf Coast of Florida as early as Monday, July 5^th.

I encourage everybody to use this as a reality check. But, mainly, if you live in a hurricane-prone area, do a couple of things right now before it’s too late.

1. Have the conversation with your loved ones. Especially your children, set the standard now, so no one is freaking out if you need to respond to the hurricane.

Be the leader.

2. What is your evacuation zone? If you don’t know the answer, look it up! Where I live, the County office of emergency management has a beautiful multicolor map that identifies evacuation zones.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, I will venture to say that your County office of emergency management would probably have a map available for you.

Remember, one of three things will happen when a disaster hits.

One, you must evacuate immediately.

Two, your home is sufficiently strong enough to withstand the events so you can ride out the storm inside your house.

And number three, this lovely substantial house you have been riding the storm out in has sustained damage to it and is no longer safe to stay there. And you need to evacuate.

3. The next thing you want to do is review your disaster plan. You do have a plan, right.

One little nugget of wisdom here, a plan will not work if you do not have one.

If you think you might need to go to a public shelter, contact your local office of emergency management now, and learn their locations.

If you or anybody in your group has special needs, it is essential to reach out and register for special needs shelters just in case. In addition, individuals who may need transportation assistance can also register for this service. Most major metropolitan areas have a system to assist people in getting to shelters if they are registered.

If you are evacuating out of the area, Airbnb or booking.com is a helpful alternative for finding lodging during your evacuation. If you are bringing a pet, you will need to make this known when booking your reservations.

Dial in your NOAA radio, make sure the radio Is charged, batteries are up to date, and you have the appropriate frequencies dialed in for your location to receive immediate information.

Now is the time to purchase the necessary items to complete your survival kits.

When preparing your kit, be sure to include hygiene supplies. Gather important papers, and if you are going to a shelter, I recommend that you bring a face covering and sanitizers with you.

4. Don’t forget your furry friends. Make sure you have ample water, food, and supplies for them. And if you think you will be going to a public shelter, you need to register for a pet-friendly shelter. Contact your local office of emergency management for details.

Bottom line: Have the conversation with your loved ones.

Check your evacuation zone.

Make sure your NOAA weather radio is charged or the batteries are up to date.

If you are evacuating, have a plan of where you are going to go. Call your emergency contacts and inform them of your status.

Have a minimum of three days of food and water available to you. Don’t forget your sanitation supplies. Also, copies of important documents, medications, and some form of entertainment to pass the time.

And do not forget your furry friends, they look to you for help.

For those of you not living in a Hurricane zone. Now is a good time to re-assess and update your disaster plans. Mother nature does not care if you are ready or not..

Till next time

“Be Safe”

P.S. Don’t know where to start?

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