June 1st marks the start of Hurricane season are you prepared?

June 1^st marks the start of Hurricane season are you prepared?

The National Weather Service is predicting to have another very active year in 2021. While many of us were not prepared for Snowmageddon 2021, it did show everyone where their preparedness was lacking. The Danbury Police Department has many tasks other than law enforcement, one of which is Emergency Management. Since hurricane Harvey and the Tax day floods, I have implemented several changes to our standard practices to help the community recover from such a catastrophe in a timely manor. While we can’t predict or prepare for every event Mother Nature throws at us, we can certainly prepare biased on our knowledge of previous events.

Snowmageddon showed everyone in the Little Town, Big Heart what we can accomplish when we work together. I am proud of each and every one of you! Neighbors putting aside their differences to help each other anyway they could. From busted water pipes to an impromptu BBQ plate handouts. There is nothing this community can’t do if we work together. I implore every citizen, inside the City of Danbury and outside to prepare for Hurricane season this year.

How can you help?

Trim your trees or remove dead ones
Clean out gutters and French drains
Service generators and chain saws
Clean up debris in your yard and ditch
Fill up gas cans and add stabilizer to them for long storage.
Replace batteries
Grab an extra case of water every trip to the grocery store
Stock up on non-perishables

Simple steps you can take this year to get a leg up on this Hurricane season;

Make a Plan!

Write down emergency phone numbers and keep them on the refrigerator or near every phone in your house. Program them into your cell phone too.
Prepare an Emergency kit
If you plan to evacuate, have several different locations of where you will be going, have several different routes to those locations as well. Roads may become congested or blocked due to debris.
Pet owners: Pre-identify shelters, a pet-friendly hotel, or an out-of-town friend or relative where you can take your pets in an evacuation.

Gather emergency supplies!

During and after a hurricane, you may need supplies to keep your family safe and healthy. Remember that a hurricane could cut off your power and water supply. You also may not be able to drive because of damage to your car. Roads may be flooded or blocked.

That’s why it’s best to be prepared—stock up on everything you might need now. Be sure to prepare the following:

An emergency food and water supply.
An emergency medicine supply.
Emergency power sources such as flashlights (don’t forget extra batteries).
Safety and personal items.
Important documents, including medical documents, wills, passports, and personal identification.
A fire extinguisher. Make sure your family knows where to find it and how to use it!

Get your car ready.

Make sure your car is ready before the storm hits.

Fill your car’s gas tank.
Move cars and trucks into your garage or under cover.
Always keep an emergency kit in your car.

If you don’t own a car, consider making plans with friends or family or call authorities to get a ride if you need to evacuate.

Get your family and pets ready.

Go over your emergency plan with your family.
Keep checking for updates about the storm. Watch TV, listen to the radio, or check online.
Put pets and farm animals in a safe place.
Have food and water available for your pets and livestock
Keep veterinary records in a folder for every pet that you are evacuating with.

Get your home ready.

Clear your yard. Make sure there’s nothing that could blow around during the storm and damage your home. Move bikes, lawn furniture, grills, propane tanks, and building material inside or under shelter.
Cover up windows and doors. Use storm shutters or nail pieces of plywood to the outside window frames to protect your windows. (Last year I saw people using round bales of hay stacked up. Use what you have.) This can help keep you safe from pieces of shattered glass.
Be ready to turn off your power. If you see flooding, downed power lines, or you have to leave your home, switch your power off.
Fill clean water containers with drinking water. You’ll want to do this in case you lose your water supply during the storm. You can also fill up your sinks and bathtubs with water for washing.
Check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector’s battery to prevent CO poisoning.

Be ready to evacuate or stay at home.

Always listen to authorities regarding whether you should evacuate or stay at home.

If a hurricane is coming, you may hear an order from authorities to evacuate (leave your home). Never ignore an order to evacuate. Even sturdy, well-built houses may not hold up against a hurricane. Staying home to protect your property is not worth risking your health and safety.

You may hear an order to stay at home. If driving conditions are dangerous, staying at home might be safer than leaving.

If you need to evacuate:

Grab your emergency supply kit and only take what you really need with you (cell phone, chargers, medicines, identification like a passport or license, and cash).
Unplug your appliances. Turn off the gas, electricity, and water.
Follow the roads that emergency workers recommend even if there’s traffic. Other routes might be blocked or flooded. Never drive through flooded areas—cars and other vehicles can be swept away or may stall in just 6 inches of moving water.

If you need to stay home:

Keep your emergency supply kit in a place you can easily access.
Listen to the radio or TV for updates on the hurricane.
Stay inside. Even if it looks calm, don’t go outside. Wait until you hear or see an official message that the hurricane is over. Sometimes, weather gets calm in the middle of a storm but then quickly gets bad again.
Stay away from windows—you could get hurt by pieces of broken glass or flying debris during a storm. Stay in a room with no windows, or go inside a closet.