Preparing for the Storms
6/26/2023
Atlantic Hurricane Season from June through October
The recent tornado in Moss Point and severe thunderstorms served as a reminder of the importance of reviewing your preparedness. Taking action to stock your home and car with emergency supplies and think through your family’s disaster response plan now can provide peace of mind when the storm warnings begin.
“Hospitals and our community’s first responders regularly conduct drills to prepare for disasters, and individuals and families can benefit from the same idea,” said Travis Sisson, CEO of Merit Health Biloxi. “It’s so much easier to think through the needed details while the weather is good so we’re well-prepared long before we’re in a storm’s path. We encourage our employees and all area residents to take steps now.”
Communications can be challenging during a weather crisis, so it’s important to think ahead. Write down emergency phone numbers and keep them near every phone in your house, program them into your cell phone and have every family member keep a printed copy in their wallet. Establish an emergency point of contact in a different town such as a friend or relative in case phone lines are busy during an emergency. Acquire a radio and extra batteries to stay up-to-date in case the internet and telephones go down.
Know your community so you’re prepared to take action – find out where the nearest shelter is and the different routes you can take to get there. For online materials such as contact lists or maps, take time to print them now. Power outages around a storm can make accessing data online difficult.
Home emergency supplies can help keep you and your family safe and healthy. While store inventories are high and it’s easy to get to and from the store, make sure you have the following basics on hand:
Food and Medicine
- 3-day supply of water – 1 gallon per person/animal per day
- 3-day supply of non-perishable food
- Baby food or formula
- Prescription medicines
- Pet food (if needed)
Safety Items
- Copies of important documents and extra cash
- First aid kit with instructions
- Fire extinguisher
- Battery-powered radio
- Flashlights
- Extra batteries
- Sleeping bags or extra blankets
- Phone chargers
- Multi-purpose tool
- Supplies to make drinking water safe (like iodine tablets or chlorine bleach)
- Pet supplies or baby supplies (if needed)
Personal Care Products
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet cleaning cloths (like baby wipes)
- Soap
- Toothpaste
- Tampons and pads
- Diapers
Your car’s emergency kit should include:
- Food that doesn’t go bad (like canned food)
- Flares
- Jumper cables
- Maps and/or GPS in your car or on your smartphone
- Roadside emergency kit
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Flashlight and extra batteries
To learn more about our community’s hurricane preparedness, visit www.msema.org.
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