The first step to emergency preparedness is to educate yourself about your community's emergency plans, warning signals evacuation routes and shelters.

If your saying to yourself, you don't live near an ocean, just remember the effects of a hurricane can be felt 100's of miles inland. This can cause flooding and severe rainstorms. Every home should have a well stocked emergency survival kit that can accommodate 3 days. Along with well stocked emergency kit you should have a full prescription medications available. If your family is young you should have adequate supply of baby food, formulas, diapers and other needed supplies for babies. A large container of wipes for the whole family and hygiene products to keep clean. Along with these supplies you have an emergency survival kit for your car that contains food, flares, battery cables, tools, first aid kit, sleeping bags etc..

Hurricanes can be predicted through the national weather service and they can warn coastal areas within 24-36 hours. This gives you time to stock up on gas, medications, food, flares, cover windows and doors with ply wood, fill sinks and bathtubs with water as extra supply for washing.

According to the CDC the great majority of injuries during a hurricane are cuts caused by flying glass or other debris. Other injuries include puncture wounds resulting from exposed nails, metal or glass and lastly bone fractures.

The CDC recommends 5 actions to get through a hurricane.

• Monitor radio or television if possible
• Stay indoors until authorities declare the storm over
• Do not go outside even if the weather appears to have calmed because the eye of the storm can pass quickly.
• Stay away from windows and exterior doors seeking shelters in bathrooms or hallway or closet
• Prepare to evacuate to shelter or neighbors if your home is damaged. Hurricanes can be very scary, however if you have an emergency preparedness plan and well stocked emergency survival kit, the chances for survival for this kind of disaster increase dramatically.

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