A Public Service From Panel Channels®

Finding shelter for your family.
           Where will you go during a storm? It's a decision best made now, when you're calm, long before a storm hits.

Make plans now to protect your family.
         Your hurricane plan should cover not just what to do now, but also what to do as the storm threatens and as it hits -- and what you should do afterward, when you could be on your own without help for several days or even a week or more.

Find the safest place in your home.
          Finding a strong refuge in your home and keeping it stocked with the right supplies will assist you in surviving until the hurricane passes.

Go early if you plan to leave.
          If you plan to leave home before the hurricane arrives, leave early --- Very Early.

Go to shelters only if there is no place else.
            A hurricane shelter should always be considered a last option, a place to go if you can't stay at home or with a relative or friend.

Protect your pets and animals.
           To keep your pet safe in the event of a hurricane, your choices are to keep the pet with you at home, take it with you if you evacuate (if staying overnight, make sure the place you have in mind accepts pets), leave it with a friend, or board it at a kennel.  Shelters do not accept pets.

Window protection is your first line of defense.
         Whether you're inland or on the coast, you can do a lot to safeguard your home against harmful hurricane winds. 

         No matter how well-constructed, a house without window protection is not a smart place to stay in a hurricane. Without protection, windows and glass doors can be smashed by flying debris.  Once the wind gets inside the house pressure changes can cause the roof to lift off.  Protect your windows and doors!