The 2008 hurricane season is here. To help you get ready,
the International Code Council offers the following recommendations.
At the beginning of hurricane season:
Prepare emergency supplies and store bottled drinking
water.
Store flashlights and extra batteries.
Clean storm gutters and drains.
Prepare your home for high winds and rain.
Repair/replace storm shutters.
Check your property insurance policy for appropriate coverage.
Before the storm:
Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys,
and garden tools. Anchor objects that cannot be brought
inside.
Check/replace emergency supplies and store bottled drinking
water.
Review evacuation plans.
Keep a supply of flashlights and extra batteries handy.
During the storm:
Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane
progress reports. Stay inside, away from windows, skylights,
and glass doors.
Keep a supply of flashlights and extra batteries handy.
If an evacuation is ordered, leave as soon as possible.
Avoid flooded roads and watch for washed-out bridges.
Secure your home by unplugging appliances and turning
off electricity and the main water valve.
After the storm:
After the storm, stay tuned to local radio for information.
Return home only after authorities say that it is safe
to do so.
Avoid loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately
to the power company, police, or fire department.
Enter your home with caution.
Beware of snakes, insects, and animals driven to higher
ground by flood water.
Open windows and doors to ventilate and dry your home.
Take pictures of any damage to the house and its contents
for insurance claims.
Drive only if absolutely necessary and avoid flooded roads
and washed-out bridges.
Use telephone only for emergency calls.
The International Code Council has several brochures that
may be helpful.
Hurricane Preparedness Kit. Compilation of materials to help you prepare for this and future hurricane seasons, including information on dealing with the immediate aftermath of a hurricane. Download.
Safety First. Disaster Preparedness Tips for Your Home and Family. Download.
Use portable generators with caution.
Hazards include carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock,
fire. Read the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Safety
Alert.
Hurricane Season Begins June 1.CPSC news release warns of dangers associated with severe weather.
For the latest information on tropical weather, hurricane
warnings and watches visit the National
Weather Service.
For a list of federal disaster communities and public assistance
visit FEMA's
site.
Click here to visit FLASH,
a Code Council partner, and view additional hurricane protection resources.
Public Safety Officials
Jurisdictions, do you need help?
Are you a building department in need of assistance after
a hurricane? Click here.
Public safety volunteers wanted.
You can help jurisdictions after a natural disaster. Click
here.
Hurricane
Preparedness Seminars. The International Code Council
offers several seminars related to hurricane preparedness
to assist public safety officials, design professionals, inspectors,
builders and contractors.
Making
the most of the opportunity. ICC Hurricane Symposium participants examine
lessons learned, work to develop strategies for the future. This article originally
appeared in the April 2005 issue of Building Safety Journal.
New Hurricane Standards. The
International Code Council is currently working on two new
International Standards that will help communities build hurricane-resistant
construction:
