Plan Ahead For Flood And Hurricane Season

Resources To Help You Get Through Flooding Disasters

The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. And while Amazon reports it plans to help during hurricane season with quick delivery of disaster relief supplies, it’s best that you get prepared now instead of wishing you had later. Here are a few tips on planning ahead.

It’s important to know if you live in an area prone to flooding, where your local levees are, and what your flood/evacuation zone is, so that you can be better prepared. Knowing your zone will help you avoid the stress of unnecessary evacuation travel. You can find out if you live in flood prone area by visiting www.fema.gov. You can find your Maryland flood/evacuation zone here.

The biggest mistake when preparing for hurricane season is not being ready financially. Sure it’s important to have the funds available to evacuate should you need to, but what about your home? In Prince George’s County, it’s more likely that your home will be flooded than your need to evacuate; therefore, it’s important to also consider and have homeowners and flood insurance. Most home insurance policies do not cover damages caused by floods. Contact your insurance company to make sure you are covered.

Know the difference between a watch and a warning? A watch means flooding is possible, and a warning means flooding has occurred. Sign up for local alerts at alert.mypgc.us to get weather and traffic alerts and emergency notifications via Alert Prince George’s.

In the rare chance that you will need to evacuate, time will be of the essence: Have copies of critical documents handy and in a secure place that you can easily and quickly access; and have at least one month’s supply of medications ready to take with you.

Discuss and create an emergency plan with your family and review at least once a month to remind everyone what needs to be done. Prince George’s County Emergency Preparedness Guide offers great information on how to make an emergency kit and emergency plans, not just for hurricane season, but for all types of emergencies.

Prince George’s County government has a great guide that explains severe weather in our area and what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

The time to get start getting prepared is now. View and read all the linked resources, schedule a sit-down with family members, and get to work on creating that emergency plan. And don’t forget to call your home insurance company.