Hurricane Safety Tips

Be Ready

• Create a Family Emergency Plan
  • Know where to go in an emergency.
    • Your family should have two meet up locations, one near your home and another outside your community. Make sure everyone in the family knows these locations and can get access to them.
  • Stay connected and have a communication plan.
    • Plan ways your family can stay connected during an emergency.
  • Make sure your plan accounts for everyone in your household.
    • Hurricanes can pose many risks, especially for older adults, infants, children, and individuals with access or functional needs. Make sure your plan addresses their needs as you decide how you will evacuate, shelter in place, or communicate with emergency workers. Arrange help from family, friends, or service providers if you need additional assistance.
    • Plan what to do with your pets should you be required to evacuate your residence. Some shelters, hotels or motels do not allow pets.
  • Be familiar with evacuation routes from: home, work, and frequently visited areas.
• Build a Preparedness Kit. Preparedness kits can vary depending on what you consider essential for your household; however, it should include basic supply items. Relevant items that you can include for hurricane preparedness:
  • Duplicates of important documents such as identification documents (social security cards, birth certificates, driver’s license, passports); insurance policies; bank account/credit card information; medical records; emergency contact lists. Safeguard these documents in a waterproof bag or container.
  • A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
  • Flashlights and extra batteries
  • First aid kit and a 10-day supply of life sustaining medications.
  • Additional items needed for children, individuals with access or functional needs, and pets/service animals.
• Emergency alerts can save lives. Subscribe to NY-Alert to receive critical information and emergency alerts on what is happening in your area.
• Attend a free Citizen Preparedness Corps training in-person or online for additional tools and resources to prepare for emergencies.

Know Your Flood Risk

• First, determine if you live in a Flood Zone. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses flood maps to categorize and zone a community’s flood risk. Each zone indicates a communities risk level and the need for extra precautions. Zones are labeled using the following designators:
  • High-risk: A, V, or VE
  • Moderate to low risk: B, C, or X
  • Undetermined risk: D

Check out the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to determine your flood zone status.

• Even if you don’t live in a flood zone, you might still be at risk. Some flood risk factors that could affect you include:
  • If your home is in proximity to water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans;
  • If your home is in an area with poor drainage or a high water table;
  • If your home sits in a low-lying area; or
  • If you live in a region with a history of flooding.

Prepare Your Home

• Review your insurance policies. Flood damage is not usually covered by standard homeowners’ insurance policies – you may need to purchase additional coverage to ensure that your residence is fully protected.
• Install and maintain safety features in your residence such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
• Know how and when to turn off water, gas, and electricity in your home.
• Check your home and property for landscaping and structural hazards. Determine what actions might need to be taken to ensure your safety and to protect your belongings. Some preventative measures you can do prior to hurricane season include:
  • Clearing loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts;
  • Keeping trees and shrubbery trimmed of dead wood;
  • Waterproofing basement walls and floors.
• Obtain and store materials that could be used to properly secure and safeguard your home. This could include plywood to secure windows and doors; sandbags to prevent flooding; and generators for power outages.
• Ensure that your residence has enough non-perishable food and water in case you are unable to leave your home.
• If you own a motorized vehicle such as a car or boat, determine where you can move it in an emergency.

As the Storm Approaches

• Plan what you will do if winds become strong. Strong winds can produce harmful projectiles that can damage your home.
  • Secure outdoor items by tying them down or bringing them inside like lawn furniture, trash cans, tools and hanging plants that could be projectiles during the storm.
  • Nail down loose boards or shingles.
  • Board up and seal windows.
• Charge cell phones, lifesaving medical equipment, and other rechargeable electronic devices.
• Turn off propane tanks, utilities and unplug major appliances if told to do so by authorities.
• Move vehicles inside, or if they are located near water, move them to higher ground.
• UNPLUG electric vehicles or items containing lithium-ion batteries.
• Ensure that your residence has 7-10 days of non-perishable food and water.
• Load up additional large containers with water for non-potable use.
• Fill your vehicle with a full tank of gas.
• If you are traveling, locate safe shelter immediately. Monitor local radio, television, and official social media channels and follow recommended routes. ACT QUICKLY and let family or friends know where you are.
• Learn about your local communities’ sheltering plans, including the location of official shelters.
• If you live in a basement apartment, be prepared to move to a higher floor during periods of heavy rain.
• If you do not feel safe in your home, move to a secure location.
• If your community is being advised to evacuate, grab the essentials and your preparedness kit, and evacuate immediately. Be prepared to be away for several days.

If Winds Become Strong

• Secure and brace external doors and close all interior doors.
• Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered. Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway.
• If you are in a two-story house, go to the basement or an interior first-floor room, such as a bathroom or closet.
• If you are in a multiple story building and away from water, go to the first or second floors and take refuge in the halls or other interior rooms away from the windows.
• If wind threatens to breach your home, lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.
• Remain indoors during the hurricane. Do not be fooled by the "eye" or the lull that occurs as the storm center moves overhead. The other side of the hurricane "eye" has winds that will rapidly increase and will come from the opposite direction. 

If there is a potential for FLOODING, CLICK HERE for more safety tips.

KNOW YOUR EVACUATION ZONE: New York City | Suffolk County

• If an evacuation is ordered by local government officials - leave immediately. Do not "tough it out" and put lives at risk - yours and the personnel who may be sent on an otherwise avoidable rescue mission.
• Follow the instructions and advice of local government officials. If you are advised to evacuate, do so promptly. If you are advised to go to a certain location, go there. Do not go anywhere else.
• If certain travel routes are advised, use those routes rather than trying to find short cuts. If you are told to shut off water, gas or electrical service to your home before leaving, do so. Also, find out from the broadcast reports where emergency housing and feeding stations are located, in case you need to use them.
• Leave as soon as officials instruct you do so to avoid being marooned on flooded highways.
• Keep the gas tank in your vehicle topped off and if you have an electric vehicle make sure it is charged.
• Unplug electric vehicles before you leave if you are not evacuating in them.
• As you travel, keep listening to the radio for additional instructions.
• Watch for washed-out roads, earth slides, broken water or sewer mains, loose or downed electrical wires and falling or fallen objects.
• Watch out for areas where rivers or streams may flood suddenly.

• Wait until an area has been declared safe before entering it. Listen to the radio or TV for instructions from local officials. Be careful driving, since roads may be damaged and power lines may be down.
• Before entering a building, check for structural damage. Turn off any outside gas lines at the meter or tank.  Allow the building to air out and exhaust foul odors or escaping gas.
• Upon entering the building, use a battery-powered flashlight. DO NOT use an open flame as a source of light. Gas may be trapped inside.
• When inspecting a building, wear rubber boots and gloves.
• Watch for electrical shorts and live wires before making certain the main power switch is off.
• DO NOT turn on electrical appliances until an electrician has checked the system and appliances.
• Throw out any medicine or food that may have had contact with flood waters.
• Test drinking water for potability.  Wells should be pumped out and water tested for drinking.
• If the public water system is declared 'unsafe' by health officials, follow their instructions before using it.
• Shovel out mud with special attention to cleaning heating and plumbing systems.
• Flooded basements should be drained and cleaned as soon as possible.  Structural damage can occur if drained too quickly. When surrounding waters have subsided, begin draining the basement in stages, about 1/3 of the water volume each day.

Debris Removal

• Be aware of your surroundings and use extreme caution during post-disaster cleanup of buildings and around exposed debris.
• Wear protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves, eye gear, face masks, and sturdy, thick-soled shoes during clean-up. These will protect you from further injury from broken glass, exposed nails, or other objects.
• If you see downed power lines, contact local authorities or your utility company immediately.
• DO NOT attempt to remove heavy debris by yourself.
• When hiring contractors, be wary of scammers. Always verify the legitimacy of the company, check reviews, and ask for proper documentation and a receipt.
• Never burn debris - it can be toxic.
• Check with local officials about local debris collection/pickup guidance.