|
| |
| After a Storm |
| Dangerous conditions can exist even after a storm has passed. Take steps to protect your safety: |
| |
- Stay inside, if possible. Downed power lines and flooded streets are just two dangers posed after a hurricane strikes. If you must go outside, do so only in the daylight, so you can better recognize potential hazards.
- Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Gas may be difficult to find after a storm, and traffic signals may be inoperable. If you do drive while signals are out, be sure to treat each intersection as a four-way stop.
- Once it’s safe to go outside, place tarps over any leaks to protect your property from further damage.
- Catalog any damage in writing, and take photos or video to support your claims.
- Monitor the quality of your food supply, especially if your refrigerator is without power. Perishable food should be discarded once it’s been at room temperature for two hours. With all foods: When in doubt, throw it out.
- Listen for water-quality advisories before using any water from your tap for drinking, food preparation or hygiene. If a boil-water order is in effect, maintain a rolling boil for at least three minutes to kill infectious organisms. If you can't boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.
- Cordless phones won’t work during a power outage. Keep a hardline phone for emergencies, and expect communication delays due to damaged and overloaded networks.
- Never burn charcoal or use a barbecue grill for cooking indoors.
- Never run a generator inside a home or garage. Additional generator safety tips are available from the Consumer Product Safety Commission at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.html.
- Observe any curfews imposed by local law enforcement agencies.
- Be patient: Depending on the storm’s path and the severity, your family could be without outside assistance for several days.
|
| |
|
| |
| Post-Storm Supplies |
| If you don’t have an adequate stockpile of supplies, obtaining gasoline, food and water may be your primary concern once a storm has passed. |
| |
Under state law, select gas stations must be pre-wired for emergency generator power. In addition, many grocery stores and home improvement stores are now generator equipped. On its Web site, Broward County maintains an updated list of retailers with generator power: Visit www.broward.org/hurricane/gasstationgenerators.htm for a list of gas stations, and www.broward.org/hurricane/grocerystores.htm for a list of grocers. |
| |
| Remember: Emergency officials have determined that ice will not be distributed to the general public. After a storm, ice should be available for purchase from grocery stores equipped with emergency generators. |
| |
| Reporting Damage |
| Broward County has introduced a program that enables residents to report the severity of hurricane damage to their home. This new system will help quickly identify areas in most need of assistance. For details, visit the County's Home Damage Assessment Program page. |
| |
| |
 |
| |
|
