The first week of May is National Hurricane Preparedness Week and each day focuses on a different preparation topic.
Monday’s focus is on developing an evacuation plan.
The National Hurricane Center says the first thing you need to do is find out if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone or if you’re in a home that would be unsafe during a hurricane. If you are, figure out where you’d go and how you’d get there if told to evacuate.
To check if you are in an evacuation zone, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes has compiled a directory of evacuation zones for residents in hurricane-prone communities.
In most cases, you do not need to travel hundreds of miles to find a safe place to stay. Identify someone, perhaps a friend or relative who doesn’t live in an evacuation zone or unsafe home, and coordinate with them to use their home as your evacuation destination.
Be sure to account for your pets, as some local shelters do not permit them.
Download the FEMA app for a list of open shelters during an active disaster in your local area.
For a full list of the topics covered throughout Hurricane Preparedness Week, click here.