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How to Survive a Hurricane. Don't wait until a storm is heading your way! Survive a hurricane
with these safety precautions. You will need Advance planning Flood insurance Emergency
supplies NOAA-enabled radio Battened-down hatches Safe room and extreme caution. Step
1. Plan ahead. Know the location of local shelters and how you'll evacuate if you don't
have a car. If you have family members with special medical needs, ask local officials
if there's a registry so they get help in the event of power outages. Pick a place for
family members to meet in case you become separated, and designate an out-of-town friend
as the person everyone calls to report that they're safe. Get flood insurance if you don't
already have it. Make sure you know how to shut off electricity, gas, and water in case
you're instructed to do so. Step 2. Have the following supplies on hand at the start of
hurricane season: a 3-day supply of water that provides 1 gallon per person per day;
a 3-day supply of non-perishable food that doesn't require cooking; a flashlight and
extra batteries; a battery-powered radio that can receive broadcasts from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration; a first-aid kit; and a 7-day supply of medications. The
Atlantic and Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30; the Eastern
Pacific is from May 15 through November. Step 3. If a hurricane warning is issued -- meaning
one is expected in the next 36 hours -- bring in anything that can be tossed around by the
wind; close and board up all windows and doors with 5/8" marine plywood, unless you have
hurricane shutters; clear rain gutters and downspouts; trim trees and shrubs; put your
refrigerator and freezer on the coldest setting; and fill your car's gas tank in case you're
ordered to evacuate. Step 4. If you live on the first or 2nd floor of a high rise, make
plans to take refuge with neighbors between floors 3 and 10 when the storm begins. Residents
who live above the 10th floor should evacuate, as should mobile home dwellers and anyone
living on a floodplain, near a river, or on an inland waterway. Step 5. Shortly before
the storm is expected to start, fill your bathtub with water so you have an extra supply
on hand. Unplug small appliances and sensitive electronics, and turn off propane tanks. Step
6. When the storm starts, stay away from windows and glass doors and avoid using the phone.
Go to your home's lowest level and stay in an interior room, closet, or hallway. Have
a mattress or pillow to protect your head. Monitor weather conditions on your radio and
don't leave your safe place until local officials say it's okay to do so. Step 7. If you lose
electricity, keep circuit breakers turned off until power is restored, then check for
frayed wires. If you see any, call the power company. Leave the house immediately if you
smell gas. If you're returning home, don't enter your house if floodwaters remain around
the building; you see loose power lines or structural damage; or you smell a gas leak.
If you have any safety concerns at all, stay elsewhere until your home is checked by a
building inspector or structural engineer. Did you know 2/3 of the hurricanes that hit
land in the United States between 1981 and 2011 struck the Gulf Coast. The other third
hit the Atlantic Coast.