IF YOU MUST EVACUATE
Do not panic if an evacuation order is given. Make sure you give yourself enough time to leave before the weather turns bad. DO NOT take chances with your life.
• Take your storm supplies and important papers, including your driver’s license and insurance policies.
• Take irreplaceable items such as photos or keepsakes.
• Let friends and relatives know where you are going.
• Turn off your electricity, water and gas, if of cials tell you to do so.
• Lock windows and doors.
EVACUATION
Check the map here to see which evacuation zone you live in. This will determine when and if you need to evacuate during a storm. Remember: Most mobile home residents must evacuate, regardless of location. You should plan now where to evacuate your family.
Make arrangements to stay with friends or relatives who live in a hurricane-safe zone. Have food, water and must-have supplies ready. If you evacuate to an inland hotel, ask about special hurricane policies. Most importantly, make sure your destination is NOT in an evacuation zone.
LEAVING THE AREA
Leave as early as possible. Have an alternate route planned. If flying, prepare for airport closings and/or canceled ights. Remember, storms can change direction quickly and without warning, so be careful and avoid driving directly into a storm’s new path. Tune to our radio partners while on the road to stay informed on traffic conditions.
IF YOU DO NOT EVACUATE
Make sure windows are protected and your home is secured. Clean containers for drinking water and your bathtub for storing clean water. Plan on two gallons per person, per day for all uses. Offer your home to friends or relatives who need to evacuate. Have at least a two-week supply of nonperishable foods, including a nonelectric can opener and corded nonelectric phone. Be sure to fully charge all cell phones.
USING YOUR EVACUATION MAP
- Locate where you live and work on the map.
- Determine whether you are in an evacuation area, and if so, what zone.
- If you are in an evacuation area, or mobile home/manufactured home/RV, decide where you will go if ordered to evacuate.
Your choices include:
• Home of a relative or friend outside the evacuation zone
• Hotel/motel outside the evacuation zone (make arrangements early)
• Leave the area entirely
• As a last resort go to a public shelter
• If you must go to a public shelter, make sure you verify the shelter is open before you go. Many shelters are local schools.
HURRICANE THREAT
• The colored areas on the maps are vulnerable to storm surge. Storm surge is the saltwater flooding that rushes over coastal areas when the core of the hurricane crosses land.
• Storm surge causes a path of destruction wiping out structures in its path. This is a life-threatening situation for anyone who ignores evacuation orders and stays in vulnerable areas.
• Hurricanes are categorized on a scale of 1 to 5 depending on wind strength.
• If you live in an area ordered to evacuate, gather your emergency supplies, secure your home and leave immediately.
Note: All those in mobile homes/manufactured homes/RVs must evacuate for all evacuation orders, regardless of where you are located.
For more on hurricane preparations and evacuation routes, visit https://www.scemd.org/prepare/know-your-zone/.
