August 26, 2011

• Hurricane Irene headed our way this weekend

  • Fill vehicles with gas.
  • Get extra cash.
  • Fill prescriptions.
  • For mobile homes, secure tie-downs and prepare to evacuate when ordered.
  • Bring in loose objects from outside.
  • Prepare to secure all windows with shutters or plywood.

  If you are not told to evacuate:

  • Stay at home! Leave the roads available for those who must evacuate.
  • Clean bathtub with bleach, fill with water for washing and flushing (not drinking).
  • Set fridge to maximum cold and keep closed.
  • Turn off utilities if told to do so by local officials.

  During a Hurricane

  • Go to an interior room on the lowest level of the structure in which you’re taking shelter.
  • Stay away from windows and doors, even though they’re covered with shutters or
  • plywood.
  • During extremely strong winds, lie under something sturdy such as a stairwell or large piece of furniture.
  • Do not go outside, not even during passage of the eye. If the eye passes directly over you, the winds could become very weak, but only for a very short period. It will not be long before hurricane-force wind resume, blowing from the opposite direction as before the eye arrived.

  After a Hurricane

  • Help might not come for up to a few days, and power could be out for days or even weeks.
  • Avoid driving on roads covered by water and/or debris. It is often difficult to determine the depth of water covering a road. Turn around, don’t drown.
  • Avoid downed power lines. Stay away from objects that are touching a downed power line, such as a fence or tree.
  • Do not touch anything electrical if you are wet. Stay out of water that could be touching anything electrical, such as in a basement with electrical appliances, or in flooded areas outside where there could be downed power lines.
  • Only use a generator in an outdoor, well-ventilated area, and closely follow manufacturer’s instructions. Many people have died in the aftermath of a hurricane from inhalation of poorly ventilated carbon monoxide from a generator.
  • Use flashlights instead of candles for light. Candles pose a serious fire hazard.

  

  

  

   

   

  • 8:25 pm
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