Hurricanes:
Resources for Hurricane Preparation and Recovery
Below
are resources for helping St. Johns County residents in the
event of a severe weather-related emergency. A summary of
these resources is at the end of this document.
The
St.
Johns County Emergency Management website
has information relevant to St. Johns County residents on planning
for a hurricane and other disasters. It features the St. Johns County
Hurricane Preparedness Guide,
(Adobe Reader required). The guide contains maps of evacuation routes,
lists of local shelters, and advice for pet owners and residents
with special needs (such as registering with the Department of Emergency
Management for special needs at 824-5550). This is a good document
to print for reference.
Pet owners: check into http://www.1clickpethotels.com to determine
which hotels would meet your needs. Plan to bring supplies for yourself
and your pet.
The Disaster
Handbook, University of Florida
contains a Master Guide
with chapters that describe post-disaster recovery, including filing
an insurance claim, sanitation after a disaster, and helping children
deal with disaster. It is not specific to St. Johns County, but the
post-disaster information supplements the County Preparedness Guide.
During
the threat of severe weather or other disaster, stay informed
of changing conditions through TV, radio, the Internet, or cell
phone alerts. You can purchase a NOAA weather radio with battery/self-generating
option. Newer models come with "SAME technology" that
tune into the National Emergency Alert System and picks up on
emergencies specific to the local geographic area. See the page
on NOAA Weather Radios in the St. Johns County Emergency Management
website.
Keep
a list of emergency contacts available and locate the personal
papers and files you'll need to take. See the Emergency
Contacts
section JCP POA website.
Your telephone book also has emergency contact information.
Your
home could also benefit from some hurricane preparations. The
University of Florida discusses how you can reduce your risk
of wind damage in its Wind
Mitigation Series. You can see displays of home systems and materials at the St. Johns County "Hurricane
House" Wind Mitigation building at 3111 Agricultural Center Drive,
phone 209-0433. See
the St.
Johns County Tips for Mitigation Measures to help you secure your home and insurance coverage.
Summary:
- Use the County
Preparedness Guide (Adobe
Reader required) and
the hurricane related portions of the County
EMS website to prepare supplies and an action plan
- If you have special needs such as a pet or a family member
with special needs, make plans to accommodate them
- Note any post-disaster steps you'll need to take from
the UF Disaster Master Guide
- Purchase
and use a NOAA weather radio
- File a copy of emergency numbers along with your family/friends
contact information
- Organize important personal papers and files to take with you
- Consider updating your home with wind
mitigation solutions and get more information at the
County "Hurricane House" Wind Mitigation building.
Additional
Resources:
