Hurricane Preparedness

If you've lived in South Florida for at least a year then you're already familiar with the message for the next 6 months - Be Prepared!

Hurricane season runs June 1st through November 30th. Emergency agencies are concerned that people will be unprepared after 2 relatively quiet seasons. But remember, it doesn't matter how many storms there are - all it takes is one hitting us to do plenty of damage.

So along with the basic prep supplies that you already know about - bottled water, canned food, a manual can opener, batteries and radio - remember to keep an extra supply of medicines, baby needs and pet food on hand. A camera is also a good idea so you can take pictures for the insurance company in case you do sustain storm damage. In fact, it's advised that you also take pictures of your possessions in advance and keep them stored somewhere that they won't be damaged if there is a storm.

The Miami Dade-County Office of Emergency Management has set up a service for you to receive e-mail and wireless alerts - you can sign up at their website. You can also request a free hurricane preparedness handbook by calling 311.

The Broward County Office of Emergency Management has preparedness guides, shopping guides and other resources that you can download.

And if you want to be informed like a meteorologist, you can always go directly to the National Hurricane Center website for the latest storm information.

Let's all hope for another quiet year!