10 Tips to Help Prepare for Hurricane Dorian

Updated 9:15pm EDT on Friday, September 6th

Dorian is racing Northeastward away from the Mid-Atlantic States.

Dorian should move to the southeast of extreme southeastern New England tonight and Saturday morning. Some strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours.

Below are resources in the affected states to help you stay safe and recover.

• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Virginia

Promptly follow all evacuation instructions from local authorities.

To help you, your family, and neighbors stay safe, with the help of our agency partners and friends at FEMA and NOAA, we’ve put the following 10 tips together to help you get ready for a hurricane.

1. Ensure you have food, water, and medications for each person in your home for seven days.
2. Have an evacuation plan. If you’re told to evacuate, do so immediately! If you stay, you will put your life AND the lives of first responders at risk.
3. Refill your gas tank and stock your vehicle with emergency supplies and a change of clothes in case an evacuation order is given.
4. Make sure you have a flashlight, extra batteries, and first-aid supplies. Fill your bathtubs with water to use for flushing the toilet.
5. Have enough cash on hand to last seven days.
6. Take a minute to invite your neighbors to join Nextdoor – the more of you who are connected, the more of you there is to help each other.
7. Bring patio furniture, garbage cans, and anything that could become a projectile inside; they could become dangerous in high winds.
8. As the storm approaches, be aware of quickly moving water and flooded roads. Do not drive around barricades, or through high water. Remember: turn around, don’t drown!
9. Use Nextdoor to check in on your neighbors – and to stay updated on how the storm is affecting your neighborhood. If it is safe to do so, check in person on your neighbors who are elderly and vulnerable to ensure they are prepared and safe during the storm.
10. Remember that during disasters, sending text messages is usually more reliable and faster than making phone calls because phone lines are often overloaded.

You can also find lots of good tips at https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes. And for real-time updates about Hurricane Dorian, please visit https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Dorian.

If you have other tips for your neighbors, we’d love to hear! Please share with us in the comments below.

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