Now’s the Time To Get Prepared: Hurricane Season Is Around the Corner

May 19, 2023

With June 1st being the start of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season just two weeks away, now is the time to get ready. Reduce your stress during an Emergency by having your family’s plan in place in advance. A Hurricane can cause major disruptions to your family, the power grid and the supply chain. The best way to minimize these and many other problems is to be prepared. Sit down with your family and determine essentials such as how much water your family needs, where you will go if you need to Evacuate and how you will stay in contact with loved ones. You will also need to be able to be self-sufficient for at least 7 days after a storm hits our area. To help you prepare, here are some tips from the Florida Department of Health.

Your Emergency Plan should include all members of your household especially if they have special medical conditions. Create a plan of when and where to evacuate because you might need special transportation for pets or elderly loved ones. Always have an emergency meeting place if you get separated and have an out-of-town contact person who everyone can call to stay in touch.

When gathering emergency supplies, get one gallon of water per person for 7 days, non-perishable foods such as canned meat, fish, veggies, fruits and nuts. It's a good idea to have a non-electric can opener, disposable plates and utensils. Don't forget matches and cooking gel to heat up foods or boil water.

If you have medical needs, have a 30 day supply of prescription medications from your doctor, plus over the counter pain relievers, antacids, anti-diarrhea medicine and any medicine for your child. In addition to the actual medications, make sure to prepare a list of all medications and essential medical devices you will need, include your physician’s contact number, and blood type and allergies for all household members. Assemble a First-Aid Kit with sterile bandages, cleansing agent, safety pins, gauze pads, scissors, sewing needle, moist towelettes and tape.

Keep all essential information in a waterproof container, especially the contact information for your property insurer, contact information of family and friends, all credit card and bank information. It would be a good idea to have a portable computer storage device with electronic copies of your mortgage, home deed, car title, instructions for shutting off utilities, pet health records, and other important documents. For insurance purposes keep a list of your major home belongings and back it up with photos.

Sign Up for "Alert Hollywood" Emergency Notifications
Alert Hollywood is the City of Hollywood’s Emergency Notification System. Used by many Government Agencies throughout Florida, Alert Hollywood notifies residents through phone calls, e-mails and/or text messages to mobile phones of an Emergency in the community such as a Hurricane Watch or Warning, Flash Flood Warning, Tornado Warning, Serious Police Situations and other Critical Incidents.

To register, visit: www.hollywoodfl.org/725/Alert-Hollywood and click on the Alert Hollywood Logo to get to the Registration Page. Register by clicking on the "Sign Up" Link located just below the login fields. After you submit your information, you will receive Alert Hollywood Notifications whenever an Alert is issued. Alerts may be received by phone and/or email address. Severe Weather Alerts issued by the National Weather Service are automatically issued through the Alert Hollywood System if you elect to receive those notifications.

The Alert Hollywood Service is FREE to the public. Text message Fees by your Wireless Carrier may apply depending on your Mobile Phone Plan.

Already have an alert Hollywood Account? If you already have created an Alert Hollywood Account, simply type your username and password in the appropriate fields on the Alert Hollywood Registration Page and click on the "Sign In" button to log into your account.

Stay informed - https://www.hollywoodfl.org/725/Alert-Hollywood

For more information, including Storm Surge and Evacuation Zones, Shelter information and more, please visit the City’s website at: www.HollywoodFL.org/Hurricane