Calabash Fire Department

What to do in the event of a hurricane

When A Hurricane Watch Is Issued

Monitor storm reports

Information is available from local radio and television stations and the National Weather Service's website at www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Make arrangements for pets

Most shelters do not allow pets. Call the Humane Society or your veterinarian to ask about pet shelters or ask a friend in a safer location to keep your pets during the storm. If you must leave them at home, bring them inside the house. Leave plenty of food and fresh water and DO NOT leave them tied up. Be sure your pet is wearing an ID tag.

Check supplies

Check your disaster supplies kits, both your home kit and your car kit. In addition, have candles, flashlights, and lanterns on hand. Have a supply of lantern fuel for several days. Keep matches in a waterproof container. Use the items safely. Never leave burning candles or lanterns unattended.

Fuel automobile

Never let your vehicle gas tank get below half a tank, during hurricane season. Fill up tank as soon as a hurricane watch is posted.

Protect glass openings

Have shutters or lumber available for protecting large windows and doors. Have masking tape for use on small windows.

Buy materials for emergency repairs

Have materials such as lumber, plastic, and tape for emergency repairs. Keep all receipts, as your insurance company might cover the cost. and they may be helpful for applicable tax deductions.

When A Warning Is Issued

Monitor storm reports

Constantly monitor storm reports on local radio and television stations. Use telephone sparingly.

Leave mobile home

If you live in a mobile home, secure tie-downs, shutoff your gas line, water, and electricity, and leave immediately for a shelter or other 'safe' place. Mobile homes are NOT safe in hurricane-force winds.

Prepare for high winds

Securely latch and brace garage doors.
Lower outdoor antennas.
Bring indoors or tie down yard garbage cans, furniture, tools, plants, toys, or any other loose objects.
Secure or remove awnings.
These items can become deadly projectiles in hurricane-force winds.

Protect windows

Board up or shutter large windows.
Tape exposed glass to reduce shattering.
Draw drapes across windows and doors to protect against flying glass, if shattering does occur.

Relocate boats on trailers

Move boats on trailers close to the house
Lash boat securely to the trailer, and use tie-downs to anchor trailer to the ground or house.
Fill boat with water to provide extra weight.
If you do not have a garage, move automobiles to an open area without trees.

Check boat mooring lines

Secure mooring lines on boats in the water, and then leave them.

Store valuables and paperwork

Store irreplaceable documents in waterproof containers and put containers in the highest possible spot. If you evacuate, be sure to take them with you.

Prepare for "side effects"

Storm surge, tornadoes, and flash floods are the worst killers associated with a hurricane. In a tornado warning, seek shelter inside and below ground level, if possible. If outside, move away at right angles from tornado. If escape is impossible, lie flat in a ditch or low spot.
The surge of ocean water plus the flash flooding of streams and rivers due to torrential rains combine to make drowning the greatest cause of hurricane deaths. Do not try to drive your automobile through water that is higher than your knees.

Double-check survival supplies

If You Stay At Home

Stay indoors

Remain in an inside room away from doors and windows. Do not go out during the passing of the storm's eye. This is a brief period of calm, followed by strong winds returning from the opposite direction. Winds can come up suddenly, increasing to 75 mph or more within seconds. The "back half" of the storm can be every bit as severe as the "front half".

Monitor storm reports

Continue to monitor storm reports on radio and television. Unexpected changes might call for last-minute relocation.
Limit telephone use.

Store extra water

In addition to storing drinking water, fill bathtubs and all available containers with water. You may be without water for a long period of time. You will need this water for washing and for flushing toilets.

Protect property

Move furniture away from exposed doors and windows.
Cover furniture, computers, and other electronics with plastic.
Unplug all electric appliances that you do not need. This will eliminate the possibility of shock (should water leak into the area) and damage that might result from power surges of electricity going on and off.
If using a generator, never connect it to your house electrical system. This could endanger you, your neighbors, or utility workers. Connect appliances directly to the generator with properly-sized power cords. Make sure that the generator is grounded, and follow manufacturer's recommendations for safe use.

Protect perishable food

To help protect perishable foods during power outages, open refrigerator and freezer doors as little as possible. Pack frozen foods close together for maximum efficiency. Do not take risk in eating perishable foods that have been unrefrigerated (or unfrozen) for a long period of time.

Remain calm.

Stay away from doors and windows, and remain calm.
Play games with children or read books to help them stay calm.
Your ability to meet emergencies will help others.

NOTE: If you lose power, turn off major appliances (especially hot-water heater) at the breaker. This will help protect your appliances from a power surge when electricity returns, and it helps the power plant better handle the load of power coming on in many places at once.

If You Must Evacuate

Secure your house

Move valuables to the highest levels of your house.
Unplug all appliances; disconnect antenna, satellite dish, and cable service.
Turn off gas at outside tank, water at main, and electricity at fuse or breaker box.
Lock windows and doors.

Leave early

Plan to evacuate early, in daylight, if possible.
Learn the best route before a storm forms, and make arrangements to stay with someone inland.
Decide precisely where you are going; do not travel farther than necessary.
Let your emergency contacts know where you are going and when you are leaving.
Never attempt to drive during a hurricane.

Get out of a car in floodwaters

Flash flooding can occur well before the eye of a hurricane has passed over the area.
Avoid driving on coastal and low-lying roads. Flooding may be erratic and occur with little or no warning.
Never attempt to drive through water on a road. Water can be deeper than it appears, and water levels rise very quickly. Cars can be buoyed by floodwaters and swept downstream during a flood. Floodwaters can erode roadways, and a missing section of road will not be visible with water running over the area. Wade through floodwaters only if the water is not flowing rapidly and only in water no less than knee-high. If a car stalls in floodwater, get out quickly and move to higher ground.

Take survival supplies

Remember to take your Disaster Supplies Kit and warm clothing.

Determine shelter needs

If you are going to a shelter, take blankets or sleeping bags; flashlights and extra batteries; special dietary foods; infant, elderly, and disabled persons needs; lightweight folding chairs; books, cards, or games to keep your children occupied. Register every person arriving with you at the shelter. Do NOT take pets, alcohol, or weapons.

After A Hurricane

Following a direct hit of a hurricane, expect to find:
Flooding
Polluted water
Downed power lines
Building debris (shingles, roofs, signs)
Fallen trees and branches
Displaced snakes and insects
Backed up and overflowing sewer lines
Undermined structures
Severe erosion to shorelines
No electricity
Limited communications

Delay return to home

Do not return home until advised by local authorities.
Seek advice from local authorities about turning back on gas, electric, and water.

Beware of outdoor hazards

Beware of loose or dangling power lines, and report them immediately.
Beware of snakes and poisonous insects when walking.
Torrential rains can cause washouts and undermining of roads, ground, and trees. Be especially careful when crossing bridges and roadways. These structures, if weakened, could collapse under vehicle weight.

Do not drink water until safe

Water and sewer systems may be damaged. Report failures to proper authorities immediately. Do not drink water until local authorities deem it safe. Use stored drinking water, or boil water for drinking or cooking.

Guard against spoiled food

Refrigerated food will spoil if power is off for over 4 hours. Discard spoiled items. Frozen food will keep about 48 hours if freezer door is kept shut.

Be patient

Local authorities will be working to restore utilities. Emergency services will be taxed. Report damage to utilities immediately, then be patient while they are repaired.

Help displaced animals

Wildlife often are displaced. Beware of snakes and poisonous insects, and be cautious when approaching other animals. If you encounter baby birds blown from their nest, try to return them to the nest. Handle them as little as possible. For displaced or injured animals, call a wildlife rehabilitator. Call the humane society or veterinarian for phone numbers.