Here are some helpful tips to get you ready this hurricane season.

Before a Hurricane threatens

• Look over your insurance policy to insure it provides adequate coverage.
• Learn about your area, check elevation of your area from Lands & Survey Dept.
• Make an inventory of possessions.
• Photograph your house and all the rooms inside for insurance purposes.
• Make sure your roofing is properly fastened and secure. Make all necessary repairs.
• Obtain lumber, plywood, and concrete nails for battening up.
• Know your evacuation route.
• Organize a place to meet with your family should you become separated during the storm.
• Clear your yard and drains of debris.
• Prune trees limbs that are close to your house. They can cause damage to your home or utility wires during a storm.
• Make emergency plans for pets
• Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and battery powered radios
• Find a place to move your boat in an emergency
• If your home is at risk, plan in advanced where you will stay. Research the location of the nearest shelter.

When a hurricane threatens

• Turn refrigerator and freezer to the coldest level. Freeze water in plastic containers.
• Sanitize bath tubs and fill with water.
• Tie down or bring in all outdoor objects (such as awnings, patio furniture, garbage cans).
• Secure or remove satellite dishes, TV or radio antennae from roofs.
• Listen frequently to radio or TV
• Pick fruits such as coconuts, mangoes etc., from trees. Clear your yard and drains of debris.
• Remove all pictures, clocks, books, figurines, tools, office equipment, appliances and important papers (passports, birth certificates etc.); wrap them in plastic or in waterproof containers; and store in a safe room.
• Turn off electricity at the main switch and remove TV and radio antennae from roofs.
• Stock up on water and non-perishable foods. Refill prescriptions needed.
• Fill your car with gas to avoid long lines after the hurricane. Also fill containers for portable generators.
• Inspect your cistern and get it cleaned
• Have your cesspool emptied.
• Park your car in a place that is safest from falling trees and utility poles.
• If you are in a high-rise, know the location of the nearest stairways. Don’t use the elevator.
• Batten down windows and doors with shutters or lumber. Wedge sliding glass doors with a bar.
• Turn off electricity from main switch 24 hours before the storm is expected to hit.
• Unplug major appliances.
• Have cash on hand in case power goes out and ATM’s don’t work

During the hurricane

• Be calm! Your ability to act logically is very important.
• Stay inside. Do not go outside unless it is absolutely necessary
• Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered. A windowless or interior room or hallway is usually the safest.
• Listen to the radio for information
• If you are in a two-storey house, stay on the first floor.
• If you are in a multiple-storey building, take refuge on the first or second floors. Interior
• stairwells and areas around elevator shafts are usually the strongest part of a building.
• If your house shows signs of breaking up, stay under a table or stand under a door frame.
• Do not go outside during the calm when the eye of the hurricane is passing.

After the storm

• Wait until you hear on the radio or television that the dangerous winds are definitely out of your area.
• Check-in with family and friends by texting or using social media.
• Photograph the damage to your property in order to assist in filing an insurance claim.
• Do not go sight-seeing
• Do not go outside barefooted. Avoid wearing open shoes and watch out for sharp debris
• Do not use phones or CB radios unless vital. Keep lines clear for emergency calls.
• Bury all dead animals as soon as possible.
• Beware of downed power lines, weakened bridges and washed-out roads, and weakened trees.
• Purify drinking water by boiling or by adding bleach, 2 drops of bleach per litre of water, 4 drops if the water is cloudy. Do not purify all your water at once.
• After adding bleach, let water stand for 30 minutes before drinking
• Use perishable food first , then non- perishable foods and staples after.
• Do not cook more than is needed for one meal
• Be alert to prevent fires
• Report broken sewer or water mains to local authorities
• Be sure to check your house for structural damage before moving back in.

Sources: www.nhc.noaa.gov , www.caymanprepared.ky, go-jamaica.com/weather/hurricane-tips.php