Come up with an emergency plan for your family. Go over this plan with each member of your family so what they are to do and where to be if either an evacuation order or a shelter-in-place order is issued.

Your emergency plan should include the following:

• Responsibilities plan: Who will take care of family pets? Who will stock up on items and groceries before the storm? Who will be the out-of-area emergency contact?
• Stay in touch plan: Get the contact information of each family member, along with social media and email accounts. Text or phone calls will likely be the first lines of communication, but it is worth considering walkie-talkie apps like Zello that are usable without cell service. 
• Pick an emergency contact: Have an emergency contact that lives out of the area, as long-distance calls may be the only ones that go through when local lines are down. 
• Medical needs plan: If anyone takes medication that needs to be refrigerated, decide how you might keep them cold without power or in the event of an evacuation. Possibly a cooler may be the best option in these cases.  
• Pet Plan: This plan should include where pets will be safest if sheltering at home—such as in a bathroom with no windows—and where they stay if you do evacuate. Some hotels and shelters are pet friendly. Possibly recruit friends or family out of the area who may be willing to allow your pets to stay with them.
• Meetup location: Along with a spot right outside your home, you should also choose a meetup location in your neighborhood or a place all members are familiar with in the event of a sudden evacuation order. This way, everyone will know to meet there even if they are not together when the order arrives. 

Once your plan is in place, make a kit of essential items before an approaching storm. Some families do this annually, a month before hurricane season begins. What should you include in your kit?

• At least three days’ worth of drinking water
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food 
• Three-day supply of pet food & water
• A change of clothing
• Battery- or solar-powered flashlights or lanterns
• Batteries
• A battery-powered radio for weather updates
• A list of emergency contacts
• Prescriptions and other essential medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and Neosporin 
• A first-aid kit
• Important documents like copies of titles, bank information, passports, and driver’s licenses
• Credit card and emergency cash 

For a more detailed kit list, go to ready.gov. Here you can download an emergency supply list.

Though you cannot control the amount of damage, you may be able to minimize it through preparation. 

• Clean up your yard. Store away lawn furniture, umbrellas, yard tools, and potted plants. Secure all grills, smokers, and bikes. 
• Trim trees and remove all dead limbs. Order a dumpster for easy and quick disposal.
• Secure doors and windows. Lock all doors, and secure windows with tape in case of flying debris.
• Service and fuel home generators in case you lose power during a shelter-in-place order.

If your area has experienced a severe storm or hurricane, there are a few things to do safely.

• Use safety gear: Stock up with goggles, waterproof boots, gloves, and NIOSH-approved half or full-face N95 respirator masks.
• Open all windows and doors to allow air to flow and release moisture.
• Clean out any items damaged beyond repair. You can also rent a residential roll-off dumpster for storm clean-up, which is economical and can be delivered quickly. 
• If there has been significant flooding or water damage, take photos of the damaged sheet rock and flooring before removing it. You can contact a professional flood clean-up team for the job.
• While wearing the proper safety equipment, disinfect and clean any surfaces affected by storm debris or potential area for mold and mildew to grow.