Hurricane Survival Kit

IF YOU DECIDE TO STAY:

KNOW THE FACTS; HAVE A PLAN

PLAN TO STAY IF…

  • You live in a structure with a standard building code that can withstand a hurricane.
  • You do not live in a manufactured or mobile home.
  • Your home is not vulnerable to storm surge or inland flooding.
  • You have reduced the threat of falling trees by trimming and/or removing dead, dying or diseased trees.
  • You have mitigated the effects of severe winds on your home by installing hurricane shutters on windows and bracing your garage door.
  • You have prepared a multi-hazard Disaster Response Plan for yourself, your family, and your pets.
  • You have prepared a Disaster Survival Kit that includes cash, two weeks supply of food, water, and one month’s supply of prescription medicines.
  • You have identified a Safe Room within your home.
  • You have a battery-powered radio and/or TV with extra batteries.

The 2013 Hurricane Survival Guide for your area will provide you with the critical information you need to protect yourself, your family, and your property. Contact your local emergency management office.

IF YOU DECIDE TO GO

PLAN TO GO IF…

  • An evacuation order has been issued.
  • You live in a structure that is not built to code.
  • You live in a manufactured or mobile home.
  • Your home is vulnerable to storm surge or inland flooding.
  • You can leave early enough to meet estimated regional clearance times. It is very dangerous to be on the highway during a storm.
  • PLAN TO LEAVE IF You live in a Mobile Home. MOBILE HOMES MUST EVACUATE!
  • PLAN TO LEAVE IF You live on the Coastline.
  • PLAN TO LEAVE IF You live near a River or Flood Plain.

IF YOU DECIDE TO STAY USE THESE GUIDELINES TO HELP

  • Avoid rooms with windows or glass doors.
  • Don’t trust rumors. Stay tuned to local radio and TV for information.
  • Consider offering your home as shelter to friends or relatives who live in vulnerable areas or mobile homes.
  • Get cash. Banks may not be open and ATM’s won’t work without electricity.
  • Identify a safe area in your home – an interior, reinforced room, closet or bathroom on the lowest floor.
  • Home health care or home-bound patients should see additional information on interior pages.

CLEAN-UP PRECAUTIONS

  • Call professionals to remove large, uprooted trees, etc.
  • Always use proper safety equipment such as heavy gloves, safety goggles, heavy boots, light-colored long-sleeve shirts and long pants.
  • Tie back long hair and wear a hat and sunscreen.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, rest, and ask for help when you need it.
  • Lift with your legs, not with your back.
  • Don’t burn trash.
  • If you can’t identify something, don’t touch it.
  • Be especially wary of downed electrical wires.
  • Be extremely careful with a chainsaw – don’t use it for the first time to clear your yard, and always heed safety warnings.

SURVIVAL KIT IF YOU STAY:

PLAN TO STAY IF…

  • You live in a structure that was built after 1973 when Florida adopted a standard building code. You do not live in a manufactured or mobile home.
  • Your home is not vulnerable to storm surge or inland flooding.
  • You have reduced the threat of falling trees by trimming and/or removing dead, dying or diseased trees.
  • You have mitigated the effects of severe winds on your home by installing hurricane shutters on windows and bracing your garage door.
  • You have prepared a multi-hazard Disaster Response Plan for yourself, your family, and your pets.
  • You have prepared a Disaster Survival Kit that includes cash, two weeks’ supply of food, water and one month’s supply of prescription medicines.
  • You have identified a Safe Room within your home.
  • You have a battery-powered radio and/or TV with extra batteries.

DISASTER SURVIVAL KIT

GROCERIES

  • Canned meats, fruits & vegetables, drinks
  • Crackers
  • Ice
  • Drinking water – two gallons per person per day for 2 weeks

OTHER ITEMS

  • Gas-operated generator.
  • Battery-operated radio and batteries
  • Cash – Banks may be closed and loss of power will make ATM’s and credit cards useless.
  • 1 month supply of prescription medicines
  • Nonelectric can opener
  • 2 week supply of nonperishable foods/special dietary foods
  • Flashlights & extra batteries
  • Cell phone, car charger & 2 charged batteries
  • First aid kit
  • 2 coolers – 1 for ice, 1 for food
  • Charcoal/LP gas grills
  • Plastic tarp for roof or window repair
  • Tools, including nails
  • Diapers, bottles, and formula for infants
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Paper products – toilet paper, paper towels, and pre-moistened towelettes
  • Toys, books, and games
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Water purification kit (chlorine)
  • Camera/film/batteries
  • Protective mask for air pollution

ACTION PLAN IF YOU STAY

  • Have you reviewed your insurance policies? Yes. No.
  • Have you posted emergency telephone numbers by your phones and made sure your children know how and when to call 911? Yes. No.
  • Where is the safest room or the safest area in your home for each hurricane hazard?
                                                                                                                                                        
  • Have you designated a meeting place if separated from family members? Yes. No.
  • Where:                                                                                                                                                     
  • What are you going to do with your pets?  Send to vet.  Keep in house.  Other
  • If your electricity goes out, how are you going to get weather updates? Generator.  Battery-powered radio.  Other
  • Who is your emergency contact in case something happens?
  • Name:                                                            _Phone:                                                                            
  • If you do not have a generator, list neighbors who have one:
                                                                                                                                                        
  • List neighbors who have emergency medical training/knowledge.
                                                                                                                                                        

IF YOU DECIDE TO GO

PRE-REGISTER

  • Register with your county emergency management agency if you cannot make arrangements for transportation or other special assistance due to age, disability, or other special need.
  • IMPORTANT: Buses and other transportation will not be available when a tropical storm or hurricane warning is issued.
  • Identify a friend, family member, or hotel/motel out of the area where you can stay for an extended period of time.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to evacuate.
  • Be patient. Don’t return to the disaster area until you have received official word that it is safe.

PETS SURVIVAL KIT

  • Proper ID collar and rabies tag/license*
  • Carrier or cage
  • Leash
  • Ample food supply (at least two weeks)
  • Water/food bowls
  • Any necessary medication(s)
  • Specific care instructions
  • Newspaper, cat litter, scoop, plastic trash bags for handling waste
  • Proper ID on all belongings
  • Nonelectric can opener* Make sure your pets have had all their shots within the past 12 months. Kennels and vet offices will require proof of vaccinations.

IF YOU MUST EVACUATE

  • Take important papers with you, including your driver’s license, special medical information, insurance policies, and property inventories.
  • Let friends and relatives know where you are going.
  • Make sure your neighbors have a safe ride.
  • Lock windows and doors.
  • Turn off electricity at the main breaker.

PLANNING FOR SAFETY

THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane’s intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region.

CATEGORY ONE

Winds 74-95 mph. Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No severe damage to building structures. Primary damage to mobile homes, shrubbery and trees, and some coastal flooding.

CATEGORY TWO

Winds 96-110 mph. Storm surge generally 6-8 ft above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers.

CATEGORY THREE

Winds 111-130 mph. Storm surge generally 9-12 ft. above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtain wall failures. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed.

CATEGORY FOUR

Winds 131-155 mph. Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtain wall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes.

CATEGORY FIVE

Winds greater than 155 mph. Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage.

 

FLAGS: WHAT THEY MEAN

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY

Winds:

18-33 knots

28-38 mph

HAIL WARNING

Winds:

34-47 knots

39-54 mph

STORM WARNING

Winds:

48-63 knots

55-73 mph

HURRICANE WARNING

Winds:

64+ knots 74+ mph

 

EVACUATION ORDER

The most important instruction you will receive from local government officials, relayed over radio and television stations, is an evacuation order. Once issued, an evacuation order is mandatory in most states. If you live in a mobile home or an area ordered to evacuate, gather your survival kit and leave immediately. If you live in a safe area, secure your home and be prepared to stay. Because of long evacuation times and the unpredictability of hurricanes, you may be ordered to leave before a hurricane watch or warning is issued.

Prepare and plan for long evacuation times. RESIDENTS OF MOBILE HOMES MUST LEAVE!
A Category 1 hurricane, with winds of 74 to 95 mph, can rip apart a mobile home. The National
Hurricane Center reports that no mobile home or manufactured home – no matter how new it is – can be a safe shelter from hurricane force winds. Also, tornadoes can spin off from hurricanes. Straps or other tie-downs will not protect a mobile home from high winds associated with a hurricane.

If a hurricane threatens, all mobile home residents will be required to evacuate. If you must evacuate and do not have access to transportation, due to age, disability, or other special needs, you should register now with your local Emergency Management Agency.

In 1992, 97% of all manufactured homes in Hurricane Andrew’s path in Dade County, were destroyed, compared to 11% of single-family, non-manufactured homes.*

*Source HUD.