Hurricane Safety Zone - Mandatory Hurricane Evacuations

Mandatory Hurricane Evacuations Are Lifesavers

Mandatory Hurricane Evacuations are just that--MANDATORY!

It may be hard for some people when there are mandatory hurricane evacuations. You have to uproot and leave for a while, sometimes never to return to the familiarity of your surroundings. But mandatory hurricane evacuations are mandatory for a reason--hurricanes kill, and hurricane safety is concern number one. When hurricane evacuations are issued, they are done so with the safety of people in mind. Most people decide to "ride it out," but that usually does not end very well. Sometimes it does, but look at what happened to the victims of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina who tried to do just that--many are no longer alive to tell about it. Some drowned, and some starved to death or died of thirst before help got to them. (After all, their homes were flooded, so the food was no longer edible, and the water was not drinkable either.)

When mandatory hurricane evacuations are issued you want to be prepared. Here are some tips and supplies you should have at the beginning of the hurricane season.

Have a Plan

The most important step that you can take to increase your preparedness for any disaster, is to prepare a disaster plan. This means that you and all the members of your household should address what to do in case of fires, hurricanes, tornadoes or other types of disasters. Once all of the components are dealt with, you have a disaster plan. It is very important that everyone in your home (even your children) understand your plan. Have extra cash on hand. ATMs may be down and stores may not accept credit cards for some time after an emergency.

Disaster Supply Kit

Preparing your disaster supply kit now will make your life much easier when any emergency occurs. You want to have enough supplies on hand to last 3-14 days. and you'll want to store them in something that's watertight and easy-to carry. Here's an example of what you'll need:

At least once gallon of water per person per day to drink, brush teeth, wash with, etc.
Canned food
Boxed or canned drinks
Peanut butter and jelly
Crackers, cookies, & candy
Protein bars, cereal bars, energy bars, etc.
Bread in waterproof containers
A manual can opener
Flashlights
Battery operated radio
Extra batteries

Yes, mandatory hurricane evacuations are scary, but they save lives. It is better to be displaced and survive than to lose your life when you could have prevented it. Heed the warnings and follow your mandatory hurricane evacuations guide. It could mean the difference between life and death.