Stay in your Safe Room! - Have a safe, interior room with no windows ready with all your supplies (food, lights, radio, camera, purse, insurance policy copy, medications, glasses, blanket, pillows, mattress). Stay There! Remain indoors during the hurricane. Blowing debris can injure or kill. Travel is extremely dangerous. Animals should be placed in their carriers.

Windows and Doors - Stay away from all windows and doors. DO NOT open a window on the opposite side of the winds as we have been advised in the past.

Candles - DO NOT use; they can blow over.

Telephone should not be used when there is lightning present.

Power - Turn off all appliances at the fuse box (circuit breaker) or remove fuses when the power begins to be intermittent or  when flooding begins. Leave one breaker on that operates a light.

Eye of the Hurricane - Do not be fooled by the storm’s calm eye which takes from several minutes to an hour to pass. Stay in your "safe place" unless emergency repairs are absolutely necessary. Winds will blow suddenly in the opposite direction after the eye passes. The strongest winds are northeast of the eye.

Tornadoes often precede a hurricane. If you are caught outside, move at right angles from the tornado.

Lightning - If you are outside and your hair stands on end or your skin tingles, lightning may be about to strike you. Drop to the ground and bend forward with hands on knees.

Radio - Listen to local radio stations. Remain indoors until local government officials announce it is safe.

SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER

One of your most crucial needs is a supply of safe water. Every person in your family needs about 2 quarts of water or other liquids daily (more in hot weather). You also need pure water for preparing foods, brushing teeth and keeping clean.
When warned of a severe storm which could cause flooding, or which could otherwise disrupt water services, insure an adequate supply of safe water for your family by filling large clean containers: pots, pans, sinks and bathtubs with water. Then shut off the main water valve to protect the clean water already in your water system. If possible close the valves on the water lines leaving the house.

You may have emergency sources of water, such as ice cubes on hand. Soft drinks and fruit juices are water substitutes. In addition, the water in your water pipes and toilet tanks (NOT THE BOWLS) is safe to drink if you closed the valve on the main water line before the flood.

To use the water still in pipes, turn on the faucet located in the highest point in the house—usually in an upstairs bathroom. This lets air into the system. Then draw water from the lowest faucet in the house.
Your water heater or water pressure tank could supply 30 to 60 gallons of safe water in an emergency. Before using water from the water heater, switch off the gas or electricity which heats the water. Leaving the heating part on while the heater is empty could cause an explosion or burn out elements. After turning off the gas or electricity open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Do not turn the water heater on again until the water system is back to normal service.

Unless you are absolutely certain your home water supply is not contaminated by flood water, treat all water before using it for drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth or dishwashing. If the water contains sediment or floating material, strain it through a cloth before treating it. Water can be treated by boiling or by chemical treatment.

Boiling
Boil water at a rolling boil for 10 minutes to kill any disease-causing bacteria in the water. Add a pinch of salt to each quart of boiled water to improve the taste.

Chemical Treatment

If water cannot be boiled, treat it with chlorine bleach such as Clorox or Purex. Household bleach is a good disinfectant for water. However, check the label to sure that the active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, is 5.25 percent. Do not use bleach which contains detergents. Mix bleach thoroughly into the water. Let it stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If it doesn’t, repeat the dose and let the water stand for an additional 15 minutes.

Amount Drops of Chlorine of Water to Add

1 quart 4 drops

1 gallon 16 drops

5 gallons 80 drops

Using iodine to treat water is not recommended. Some people have reactions to iodine that can quickly cause them to become ill or die. This is especially true for children, elderly people, and people with chronic illness.

Water Purification Tablets as sold in camping stores are not recommended for general use. According to the USDA and the Center for Disease Control, about 10% of the adult population has a hidden chronic illness or other problem which these tablets may aggravate. Also, children, elderly, and people with chronic illness should not use these tablets.