Hurricane Readiness: Know Your Escape Routes

Hurricane Readiness: Know your escape routes

 

Put yourself in this situation. A few days ago a storm system was named and predicted to impact you area. Now, you’re hearing that this storm is gaining strength and forecasted to reach a category four before landfall.  With 130-156 mile an hour winds, severe flooding and possible tornado’s expected, you decide that it would be best for your family to evacuate the area.

 

But what route is the best to take to leave the area? And how soon should you leave?

 

The best way to prepare for a hurricane is to plan in advance. Every county has recommended escape routes it suggests people take in the event of an emergency. Be sure to map these out ahead of time so that if a natural disaster ever impacts your area, you are one step ahead of the game and have a better handle on the situation.

 

You can find the escape route for your area by checking here: https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

 

Another thing to keep in mind is where your local shelter is. If a storm reaches a category three or higher, many counties require evacuations or ask that you go to a shelter.

 

If you do not have family outside of the storm path and cannot afford to stay in a hotel, then this will be your best option.

 

To find the shelters in my county, I just searched Pasco County Hurricane Shelters. You can do the same for your county and a list of results will populate according to your area.

 

Once you have located where you should go, you will want to make sure that you give yourself enough time to get out of the storm’s path and not get bogged down in traffic. This will all depend on your area, but be sure to tune in to see what your local news outlets suggest.

 

Now that you have your escape routes planned out, you may be wondering what you should bring with you. Tomorrow we will be discussing how to build a basic disaster kit.

 

Check your local escape routes and be sure to check back tomorrow!

 

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