Hurricane Season - Be Prepared

With Hurricane Sandy (2012) still fresh in our minds even after all these years, Hunterdon County Officials as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Officials urge our citizens to prepare for the annual Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1 of each year.

Preparation Suggestions & Tips

FEMA's Ready.gov website provides information on how to prepare for hurricanes. They provide the following tips and suggestions:

To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Know your surroundings.
• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Make plans to secure your property:
  • Cover all of your home's windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows.
  • A second option is to board up windows with 5/8-inch marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install.
    • Note: Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
  • Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
  • Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
  • Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
  • Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
  • Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans, and anything else that is not tied down.
  • Determine how and where to secure your boat.
  • Install a generator for emergencies.
  • If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.
• Consider building a safe room.

Further Information

According to Ready.gov, "Hurricanes cause heavy rains that can cause extensive flood damage in coastal and inland areas. Everyone is at risk and should consider flood insurance protection. Flood insurance is the only way to financially protect your property or business from flood damage. To learn more about your flooding risk and how to protect yourself and your business, visit the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (NFIP) website, or call 800-427-2419."

"To learn what you can do to prepare for hurricane season and pledge to prepare, visit the Ready.gov Hurricanes page. You can access the mobile version of the website, making it easier to access critical information regarding emergency preparedness and what to do before and after a disaster from your smartphone and tablet. You are encouraged to download the FEMA smartphone app, which contains disaster safety tips, interactive lists for storing your emergency kit and emergency meeting location information, and a map with open shelters and open FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers. The app is free to download through your smartphone provider's app store."