PLAN FOR EVACUATION
If the danger is significant, state or local government officials may issue an evacuation notice. You can do the following to be better prepared.
Learn your community’s evacuation plan and identify several posted routes to leave the area.
• Evacuation routes: Check with your state’s Department of Transportation or Office of Emergency Management website to find routes near you.
• Emergency shelter location: To find a shelter near you, download the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app.
Once you determine your evacuation route and shelter location, write them down on your Hurricane Preparedness Checklist, which is located at the end of this guide.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BE READY
• Plan for your entire household including children, people with disabilities and access and functional needs, and pets.
• Keep your gas tank at least half-full at all times. Maintain basic emergency supplies (e.g., snacks, bottled water, first aid kit, flashlight, flares, jumper cables and other tools, a wool blanket, and a change of clothes) in your vehicle.
• Pick an out-of-state contact everyone can call to check-in and report their status.
• Know where you will meet up if you are separated and where you will stay.
• Pack a “go bag” including items you need to take with you if you evacuate. A “go bag” should be easy to carry and kept in a place where you can grab it quickly.
CREATE YOUR FAMILY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION PLAN
Your family may not be together when a hurricane occurs, so it is important to know how to contact one another and how to get back together.
Keep important numbers written down in your wallet in case you cannot access the contact list in your phone. Landline and cellular phone systems are often overwhelmed following a disaster, so you may need to use text
messages and social media.
Designate an out-of-town contact who can help your household reconnect. Be sure to practice your plan with your family.
Write down any important phone numbers on your Hurricane Preparedness Checklist so you can access them easily.