Identify your home with legible and clearly marked street name and house number so emergency vehicles can rapidly find the location of the emergency. Include a driveway that is at least 12 feet wide with a vertical clearance of 15 feet—to provide access to emergency equipment.
Maintain an emergency water supply within 1,000 feet of your home through one of the following:
– Community water/hydrant system
– Drafting site on a lake
– Cooperative emergency storage tank with neighbors
– Swimming pool
The National Hurricane Center gives the storm a name from the list once a tropical storm reaches wind speeds of 39 mph and develops a counter-clockwise circulation.
The letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are omitted from the list because so few names begin with those letters. Names associated with storms that have caused significant death and/or damage are usually retired.
Hurricane Watch – A hurricane watch means residents in a designated coastal area could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours. Families should enact their disaster action plan and begin to secure homes, vehicles and boats. Residents on barrier islands should consider evacuating.
Hurricane Warning – A hurricane warning indicates sustained winds of at least 74 mph are predicted for a designated area of the coastline within 24 hours. Residents should complete disaster action plans and seek shelter in the safest location.
It’s important to be aware that food that has not been refrigerated can cause severe health problems.
Remember that: Items in a full freezer will stay frozen for about two days with the door kept closed;in a half-full freezer, for about one day.
Refrigerated foods can keep for up to four hours.
Discard any perishable refrigerated foods that have been above 40 degrees F for more than two hours.
Discard any food with an unusual odor, color or texture. Remember: “When in doubt, throw it out.”
If you have the time: Turn off water, gas and electricity before leaving. Post a note telling when you left and where you are going. Don’t forget about your pets and be sure to lock your home.
Hurricanes bring wind and water, often in the shape of floodwaters that swamp homes and damage property. It’s critical to remove, dry, or replace wet building materials immediately to avoid damaging mold and the health risks it brings. Below is a simple checklist to help you get started on assessing damage in your home after the flood and begin taking charge of the cleanup. Be sure to check with your town or municipal offices to receive checklists and contact numbers for your area.
• Check for building stability before entry—sticking doors at the top may indicate a ceiling at risk of collapse.
• Take pictures of damage throughout the building and around the property.
• Assess stability of plaster and drywall—any bulging or swelling ceilings indicate damage that should be removed.
• Press upward on drywall ceilings. If nail heads appear, drywall will need to be renailed but can be saved.
• Clean and disinfect hot air, air conditioning, and ventilation ducts before use to avoid spread of airborne germs and mold spores.
• Check appliance wires for missing or disintegrated wire insulation.
• Ground all appliances with a three-pronged plugs.
• Dry and oil all appliance motors.
• Two weeks after flood water subsides, drain wells, sanitize well and water lines, and test water.
• Check foundation for any loose or missing blocks, bricks, stones, or mortar.
• Empty basement water 1/3 per day to avoid structural damage to foundation by rapid pressure change.
• Test water before using.
• Remove wet drywall and insulation to well above the high water mark. Clean, disinfect, and dry all wall cavities that came into contact with floodwater.
• Use fans and sunlight to dry out interior spaces.
• Remove all wet carpets, curtains, and fabrics. Allow to air dry completely.
• Wash and disinfect all surfaces, including cupboard interiors, with a solution of 1/2 cup bleach to 2 gallons of water.
• Clean and disinfect concrete surfaces using a mixture of TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water. Mix according to manufacturer’s directions and apply to entire surface.
• Control standing water and mosquitoes by applying a larvae control product to standing water or a film of vegetable oil to the surface.
• Wash down and disinfect all doors. To avoid warping, dry all wood doors by removing from hinges, laying flat with wood shims between, and allowing to air dry completely. Remove all knobs and hardware first and disinfect.
• Clean and disinfect windows, sills, and tracks.
• Remove sliding doors and windows before cleaning and disinfecting the sliders and the tracks.
• Remove wallpaper and coverings that came into contact with floodwaters. Don’t repaint or repair until drying is complete and humidity levels in the home have dropped.
