HURRICANE 2001
Survival Guide

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones that move in a large spiral around the eye - the calm, low-pressure center. Many begin as areas of low air pressure off the coast of Africa.
Florida, with a coastline of 1,350 miles, is more susceptible to hurricanes than any other state. As many South Floridians have learned, it is important to form an emergency plan and review it annually.
The following information can form part of the checklist for an emergency plan. Know the meaning of terms used by the National Weather Service. Plan what to do when a hurricane watch or hurricane warning is issued. Learn how to hunker down during a hurricane and what to do after the "all clear" is given.

- Tropical disturbance: A moving area of thunderstorms in the tropics.
- Tropical depression: An area of low pressure, rotary circulation and winds up to 38 mph.
- Tropical storm: Counterclockwise circulation of clouds and wind speed from 39 to 73 mph. These storms are assigned names. w Hurricane: A storm with winds of 74 mph or more.
- Eye: The center portion of a hurricane around which the winds and rain rotate. Winds are light and skies are clear or partly cloudy when the eye is passing through.
- Categories: Hurricanes are rated from one to five: Category One is 74-95 mph, Two is 96-110, Three is 111-130, Four is 131-155, Five is more than 155.
- Advisory: Updated information from the National Weather Service, issued hourly as a storm approaches. Small-craft warnings are released as necessary.
- Gale warning: Wind speed of 39-54 mph expected.
- Storm warning: Wind speed of 55-73 mph expected.
- Hurricane watch: A hurricane may threaten your area.
- Hurricane warning: A hurricane is expected to strike within 24 hours.
- Tornado watch: Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are possible in your area.
- Tornado warning: A tornado has been detected in your area. Take shelter.
- Storm surge: Begins as an arch of water that sometimes reaches out for 50 miles. It forms over the deepest part of the ocean and combines with the low pressure and strong winds around the hurricanes eye. As the storm moves over more shallow waters, the arch becomes a huge storm surge that can rise up to 20 feet above sea level and produce massive flooding.

- Fill bathtubs and jugs with water. Figure on using a gallon of water per person per day. To store water in the bathtub, sponge the tub with a solution of liquid bleach and water, caulk the drain to make it watertight and fill the tub. You can use this water for washing and cleaning. A bucketful will flush the toilet if municipal pipes fail. Most plastic-bottled waters should be drunk within a year.
- Turn refrigerator and freezer settings to the coldest levels. Freeze water in plastic containers. If electricity fails, you can store them in the refrigerator to help keep food cold.
- Gather clothing, blankets and bedding, toiletries, flashlights, radio.
- Put shutters, window protection in place. Remove external antennas.
- Remove valuable pictures and bric-a-brac from walls.
- In a rugged, waterproof container, collect medical and property insurance papers, immunization records and medical records of anyone with special needs. Include a few cherished mementos, which will be comforting later if the house is destroyed.
- Wedge sliding glass doors with a bar.
- Draw drapes and blinds.
- Turn off electricity to the pool; add chlorine to the water.
- Don't waste time with an elaborate last-minute shopping expedition; just make sure you have essentials.
- Decide which room your family will go into if the worst happens. Essentials for the room include the documents container and shoes for everyone so you won't step on nails in debris later.

- Assess the status of your storm preparations. Know where you'll go if required to evacuate. Begin listening for storm updates.
- Trim and take to the dump branches that could damage home.
- Fill car's gas tank, other cans if using a generator.
- Bring in outdoor objects, like furniture, that could become projectiles in high winds.
- Secure any boats on trailers, or move them to safe harbor.
- Make arrangements for pets -- they're not permitted in shelters.
- Locate the main turnoff valves for electricity, water and gas.
- Make an inventory of possessions. Take pictures of each room; in case of damage, pictures will help you identify what is lost.
- Refill pending prescriptions.
- Buy plywood or other home-protection supplies while available.
- Fill out supply of canned foods, soft drinks and water.
- For diabetics, find a cool place for insulin supply. It will keep safely for a month at 85 degrees. Diabetics should monitor their blood sugar more often during the emergency, because stress and irregular eating could affect it. Have hard candy or juice available for reversing insulin reactions.

- Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable.
- Secure all outdoor objects by tying them or bringing them in.
- Lower all awnings. Shutter or board windows and doors.
- When the hurricane warning advisory is issued, go to a shelter. Do not stay in the mobile home during a hurricane.

- Know the location of all exit stairways. Count the number of steps and direction to the closest exit in case the lights in the hallway aren't operating. Don't use the elevator.
- Decide where the family will meet if you are separated.
- Bring in all loose items from the patio or balcony. Close and lock all windows, sliding glass doors and shutters.
- Building managers or condo associations should organize a group of responsible residents to develop a plan to secure the grounds:
* Set up guidelines for storing cars and boats.
* Provide for emergency power.
* Find a safe area for residents to congregate.
* Consider opening the building to nonresidents who may be stranded.
* Set up a system to keep track of residents who plan to leave the building, so everyone can be accounted for.

- Pregnant women in their last month or at high risk should ask their doctors which hospital to use. Make arrangements for children; hospitals likely won't allow children or spouses to come along.
- Elderly residents of high-rises should not stay there if a warning is issued. Even inland, power failures after the storm could trap them.
- Children should help with the storm preparations, which will allow them to talk about their fears and feel more in control. Answer their questions honestly but without dramatizing what could lie ahead. Give lots of verbal reassurance, hugs and cuddles.
- If you stay at home with a pet, keep the animal inside the house in a travel crate during the storm.

- Authorities will issue advisories by television and radio when areas should be evacuated. They also will have lists of shelters and times they will open. Lock your home securely. Follow recommended routes to the shelter, and if possible, travel during daylight.
- Take your own supplies to the shelter, including food, a change of clothes and shoes, medicine, diapers and other sanitary needs. Bring a radio, pencil, notebook, important papers, flashlight, bedding, plastic bags for dirty clothes, and items to keep yourselves amused.
- Remember that pets (except guide dogs), firearms and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in shelters. Find an inland kennel for pets or leave them behind.
- Register at the desk when entering, and volunteer to assist shelter workers. Keep your area as clean and neat as possible. Bring your sense of humor; tensions can run high.

- Remain indoors in a windowless area such as a hallway. Don't go outside, even during the lull when the eye passes, unless emergency repairs are crucial.
- Prepare for storm surge and possible flooding.
- Keep listening to the radio or television for information.

- Venture outdoors carefully. Power lines are likely to be down; be careful where you step. Stay away from disaster areas; don't sightsee. Drive very carefully.
- If possible, let friends, relatives and your employer know you are safe. Keep phone use to a minimum, so lines are free for true emergencies.
- Find out if your water supply is safe.
- Watch out for snakes, wildlife and insects that have been driven to higher ground.
- If a storm does enough damage to cause a state of emergency, expect the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and nongovernmental relief organizations to provide water, food and shelter for those hardest hit.
- If you do not have the supplies you need, get to a relief site as quickly as possible. FEMA, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others may be able to get you water, ice, food, medical supplies, building supplies, shelter and even help with repairing your roof.
- Use print and broadcast media to help you cope. They will give you the information you need to survive and to find the things - and people - you may be missing because of the storm.
- Keep all receipts for items you buy before power is restored. Your insurance may cover the cost of emergency food and ice.

- If you plan for water shortages after a hurricane, you'll be a few steps ahead in the survival game.
- The following tips were provided in a brochure by the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
* Store at least a two-week supply for each family member. That means at least one gallon a day for each person. Store water only in washed containers but for no longer than three months.
* As a storm approaches, you also can store water in your bathtub and toilet tank (not bowl) for washing and flushing toilets. (If the electricity fails at the local waterworks, you won't have water pressure.) Close the bathtub drain and seal around it with waterproof caulking and fill it with water.
* Freeze as much water as you can.
* Depending on the size, water heaters hold several gallons of clean water that you can use after a storm for sanitary or other needs. As part of your final preparations for a hurricane, unhook or shut off the water heater from its water source so it will not get contaminated.
* Know how to disinfect water to kill disease-carrying microorganisms.
* Boiling: It's safest. Bring water to a roiling boil for 10 minutes. It will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers.
* Chlorination: Use liquid chlorine bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. (Some containers warn against personal use.)
* Add two drops of bleach for each quart of water (four drops if water is cloudy), stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes.
* Purification: These tablets, available at most sporting goods stores and some pharmacies, release chlorine or iodine. Follow package directions.