As Hurricane Earl moves toward the East Coast and Connecticut residents prepare for their Labor Day travel plans, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) urges residents to prepare for possible severe weather in the coming days. A tropical storm warning has been called for coastal Connecticut, which can cause heavy winds and rain. It is important for residents to be prepared to stay safe during possible severe weather and flash floods.
Hurricane Preparedness Information:
Personal preparedness is critical and it is never too early for individuals and families to take action.
One of the most important steps individuals in impacted regions can take is to follow the guidance provided by local authorities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends taking the following preparedness actions:
- Prepare a disaster kit for your home: Stock up on non-perishable food and water to sustain you and your family for up to three days or longer. Ensure you have important papers (e.g. insurance, identification), first aid kit, a supply of prescription medicines and other specialty items in your preparedness kit. In addition, plan to have an emergency kit for your car in case you need to evacuate. While creating a disaster kit, pet owners should remember to pack the necessary items for their pets. Find more information on preparing your disaster kit at www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html.
- Create an emergency plan: Know what to do if you have to evacuate. Make sure you know how to contact members of your family and have an emergency contact number for someone out of state that knows where you are in the event of an emergency.
- Be informed: Know evacuation routes and listen to local authorities when asked to evacuate. Whether you live in a coastal community or inland, speak with your insurance agent now about flood insurance and review your homeowner’s policy. Every state is at risk for flooding and homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood insurance is a cost-effective way to financially prepare for floods. To learn more about your risk and flood insurance, visit www.floodsmart.gov.
Information on what individuals and families can do to prepare for an emergency, including flash flooding and other severe weather that frequently accompanies hurricanes, is available at www.Ready.gov.
The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security continues to monitor Hurricane Earl and has up-to-date state weather information at http://www.ct.gov/demhs/site/default.asp.
To track an approaching storm, you can find maps and regularly updated tracking information online on the National Weather Service website at www.weather.gov.
FEMA’s mobile website, m.fema.gov, makes it easier to access critical information regarding emergency preparedness and what to do before and after a disaster on a smartphone.
