�If you are traveling, find safe shelter�immediately.

�Have a plan for those with special needs, children, the elderly and pets.

�Monitor local media reports and follow emergency instructions and orders from authorities.

���������If you have been ordered to evacuate, do so.�If not, stay put in a well-constructed building.

���������Continue to listen to local radio, television reports or NOAA Weather Radio for latest information on the storm�s progress and for bulletins from emergency officials.

���������Turn refrigerator to maximum cold and open only when necessary.

���������Turn off utilities if told to do so by authorities.

���������Turn off propane tanks.

���������Unplug small appliances.

���������Fill large containers with water.

���������Stay away from windows and doors even if they are covered.�Take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway.

���������Close all interior doors.�Secure and brace external doors.

���������If you are in a two-story house, go to an interior first-floor room, such as a bathroom or closet.

���������If you are in a multiple-story building and away from the water, go to the first or second floors and take refuge in the halls or other interior rooms away from the windows.

���������Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.

���������Remain indoors during a hurricane or coastal storm.�Don�t be fooled by the �eye� or the lull that occurs as the storm center moves overhead.�The other side of the hurricane �eye� has winds that will rapidly increase and will come from the opposite direction.

���������Follow the instructions and advice of local government officials.�If you are advised to evacuate, do so promptly.

���������If you are advised to go to a certain location, go there.�Don�t go anywhere else.

���������If certain travel routes are advised, use those routes rather than trying to find short cuts.

���������If you are told to shut off water, gas or electrical service to your home before leaving, do so.

���������Before you leave, secure your home.�Bring inside or secure loose items.�Shutter windows and doors securely.�Turn off electricity at main switch and the gas at each appliance.

���������Leave as soon as officials instruct that you do to avoid being marooned on flooded highways.

���������Make certain you have enough fuel for your car.

���������As you travel, keep listening to the radio for additional instructions.

���������Watch for washed?out roads, earth slides, broken water or sewer mains, loose or downed electrical wires and falling or fallen objects.

���������Don�t try to cross a stream or pool of water unless you are certain that the water will not be over your knees, or above the middle of your car�s wheels, all the way across.�� If you do decide it is safe to cross, put your car in low gear and drive very slowly to avoid splashing water into your engine and causing it to stop.�Also, remember that your brakes may not work well after the car has been in deep water.�Try them out a few times when you reach the other side.

���������Garage doors are frequently the first feature in a home to fail.�Reinforce all garage doors so that they are able to withstand high winds.

���������If you do not live in an evacuation zone or a mobile home, designate an interior room with no windows or external doors as a �Safe Room.�

���������Most mobile / manufactured homes are not built to withstand hurricane force winds.�Residents of homes not meeting that level of safety should relocate to a nearby safer structure once local officials issue a hurricane evacuation order for their community.

���������Once a hurricane warning is issued, install your window shutters or plywood panels.

���������When a hurricane warning is issued for your community, secure or bring inside all lawn furniture and other outside objects that could become a projectile in high winds.

���������Listen to local radio and television broadcasts for safety instructions from local officials, and go to your designated �Safe Room� when directed to do so.

���������Do not leave your �Safe Room� until directed to do so by local officials, even if it appears that the winds calmed. Remember that there is little to no wind in the eye of a hurricane.

���������In high flood-prone areas, keep materials on hand like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, plastic garbage bags, lumber, shovels, work boots and gloves.

���������Be aware of streams, drainage channels and areas known to flood, so you or your evacuation routes are not cut off.�If you choose or are told to evacuate, move to a safe area before access is cut off by flood water.

���������Monitor local radio / television broadcasts or NOAA Weather Radio to learn of the storm�s progress and for information from emergency officials.

���������Avoid driving into water of unknown depth.�Moving water can quickly sweep your vehicle away.

���������Restrict children from playing in flooded areas.

���������After a flood, you should test drinking water for potability and wells should be pumped out and the water tested before drinking.

���������Do not use fresh food that has come in contact with floodwaters.�Wash canned goods that come in contact with floodwaters with soap and hot water.

���������Stay away from downed power lines.

���������Turn off major appliances to prevent damage from a possible surge when the power comes back on – keep one light turned on so you know when power returns.

���������Call your utility provider to notify them of the outage.

���������Check to see if your neighbors have power.

���������Use only flashlights for emergency lighting — candles pose the risk of fire.

���������Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors shut to keep food from spoiling. When in doubt, throw it out!

���������Do not use a charcoal grill indoors and do not use a gas stove for heat – they could give off harmful levels of carbon monoxide.

���������In cold weather, stay warm by dressing in layers and minimizing time spent outdoors. Be aware of cold stress symptoms (i.e., hypothermia) and seek proper medical attention if symptoms appear.

���������If you are in a tall building, take the stairs and move to the lowest level of the building.

���������If trapped in an elevator, wait for assistance. Do not attempt to force the doors open. Remain patient – there is plenty of air and the interior of the elevator is designed for passenger safety.

���������Remember to provide fresh, cool water for your pets.

���������Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic signals will stop working during an outage, creating traffic congestion and dangerous driving conditions. If you must drive during a blackout, remember to obey the 4-way stop rule at intersections with non-functioning traffic signals.

���������Remember that equipment such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and elevators may not be working.

(YWN Desk �NYC)