This August marked the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
We all remember the storm’s devastating effects on the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas — but perhaps the memories that stands out the most are of the dire conditions that so many evacuees had to endure after the storm was over. From overcrowded shelters, to inadequate food and water supplies, life for those living in Katrina’s wake was difficult, even nightmarish.
At KOVA, we’re in the business of helping people deal with emergencies. And while we can’t do anything about the storms that may come our way this hurricane season, we can offer some public safety tips on how to keep your family safe during a hurricane.
The most important first step you can take is to put together an emergency kit and create a family communications plan.
Your emergency kit should contain food, water, and any necessary medications for all members of your family (don’t forget your pets!). Ideally, you want enough to last 72 hours. In addition, you’ll want supplies like matches, blankets, a flashlight, and a first aid kit. You can find full lists of what to include on Ready.gov.
For your family communications plan, pick a location near, but outside your home, where all family members will meet (if possible) in the event of a disaster.
In case you’re separated from your family members when the storm strikes, you should also agree upon a family member or friend — out of state is best — to whom each person in the family will communicate their safety.
Know your hurricane evacuation routes. You can usually find these on your city or town government website.
Cover your windows — storm shutters offer the best protection, but boarding them up with plywood will work well too.
If you live in a high-rise building, be ready to take shelter from wind on a lower floor.
Stay informed. Watch or listen to the news, or search for the storm online. And if you’re in a public place like an airport, pay attention to any public emergency alerts. These could be sirens or public address messages, like the ones that come from our public alert system the KOVA Emergency Alert Notification System (KEANS). You can learn more about KEANS here.
Make sure you have enough water to last a couple of days, not only for drinking but for washing and flushing toilets. The general rule is one gallon per person per day. If you made your emergency kit in advance, you’re already covered.
Turn your refrigerator to the coldest setting — this will keep your keep food safe for longer in the case of a power outage.
Use your cell phone for emergencies only, in order to conserve battery power.
You should always evacuate if local authorities direct you to do so. If you are unable to evacuate, take refuge on the lowest level of your home or building, in an interior room like a closet or hallway. Stay away from windows and keep curtains and blinds closed.
Remember that evacuation routes will be very crowded, and you could be in standstill traffic for some time. It’s best to bring your emergency kit with you. At the very least, bring food, water, and blankets for the entire family, pets included.
Hopefully, your family communications plan served its purpose and you’re able to locate your loved ones. However, in the unfortunate case that you cannot, contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit the Red Cross Safe and Well website at safeandwell.com.
If you evacuated, but are unable to return to your home because it’s unsafe or destroyed, you can find the nearest shelter by texting SHELTER plus your zip code to FEMA at 43362.
Don’t use your tap water until you’re sure it’s not contaminated.
We hope that you and your loved ones are never affected by a natural disaster — but if you are, these tips should serve you well.
If you’d like to learn more about KOVA’s history of helping first responders keep people safe, call us at 800-204-5200 or send us an email.
