6 Ways To Stay Safe and Healthy This Hurricane Season

“It started like any other day.” That’s what we often think looking back on disasters. We heard the weather prediction and didn’t think much about it. It was cloudy with a chance of havoc, right? We’d seen severe storms before but didn’t expect this one to be any different. Now here we are, picking through the rubble of our homes and our lives. We aren’t alone. Twenty hurricanes have struck the U.S. in the past 10 years wreaking, on average, almost $6 billion a year in property damage and loss of life, according to the NOAA Hurricane Research Division.

Coming through a storm safe, healthy, and able to recover fast means being ready before the storm. Anticipating hurricanes can help you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy, keep your family together, and help you cope with the stress of disaster.

National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 24-30) is the perfect time to get ahead of the storm and take action. When we do, the entire community grows stronger and better able to withstand and recover from hurricanes and other natural disasters. Here are six ways you can get started:

1. Refresh your emergency kit and plan:  Life changes pretty quickly – make sure your preparedness kit and plan are keeping up with your family’s changing needs and schedules. Replace any items that are expired or no longer needed. Check out these resources to help you and your family and friends plan together. Run a drill to be sure your family knows what to do.
2. Remember your pets: Pets need a plan, too!  Getting your pet microchipped, having a grab-and-go kit, and including your pet in your plans are all important parts of pet preparedness.  Also, remember that many emergency shelters don’t accept pets. Check out FEMA’s Guidelines for Pets to help you plan.
3. Know your exits: If a hurricane strikes, you may need to evacuate.  Take time now to learn the evacuation routes where you live, work and play. Get to know your state and local emergency management agencies; they’ll have information to help you make smart choices. Find out how they’ll communicate with the community – emergency alert systems, cable TV, Facebook, Twitter – and sign up for or follow their emergency alerts. 
4. Be smart. Be safe: Hurricane disasters often lead us to use potentially dangerous equipment. Every year, more than 400 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and about 36,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from the unsafe use of chainsaws. Take safety precautions!
5. Plan to cope: Disasters are stressful. Coping can be difficult, as can recognizing when the people around you need help coping. Discover how to recognize the common reactions to stress and how to cope. Remember that children show signs of stress differently than adults; learn about these unique signs and how to help.
6. Plan for your medical needs: If you take medication regularly, have extra supplies and a copy of the prescription in a water-proof bag, ready to evacuate with you. If you rely on durable medical equipment, such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators or intravenous infusion pumps, learn about your system’s battery backup and fully charge it before the storm. If you rely on dialysis, talk with your nephrologist and dialysis facility about having a treatment early, and learn about a renal diet, alternate care facilities, and other important considerations. If you are unsure how to plan for your health condition, talk with your doctor.

We don’t know exactly when the next disaster will happen or what it will bring. Odds are that day will start like any other day. Taking action today to be ready, putting the tools and plans in place now, brings peace of mind that you, your family and friends can weather the storm as safe and healthy as possible. Learn more at PHE.gov/hurricanes and #GetCovered by calling 877-813-9115 today.

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