HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

Please use the Broward County Hurricane Preparedness Guide in preparing for the hurricane season. There are valuable phone numbers, lists and tips to keep your family safe in the event of a storm.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

Don’t wait until a hurricane is bearing down to make these important decisions. Do it now to ensure your family’s safety. Together we can make it a safer and less worrisome hurricane season for everyone. If you have questions, please contact Broward County Emergency Management at 954-831-3902 (TTY 954-831-3940) or visit the official Broward County Hurricane website: .

The City Fire Rescue, Police and Medical will not be able to assist you until the storm has passed and roadways are clear of downed power poles and debris. If you do remain in your home, utility services such as phones and electrical service will have interruptions or possibly no services for several days. The City of DAvie will be inundated with phone calls – you may not be able to reach anyone.

Please have an evacuation route plan – a family member’s home, a friend’s home, or evacuation shelter. Remember that the roads become increasingly congested the longer you wait. Those who require special needs should make the necessary arrangements well before hurricane landfall.

Purchase supplies now and place some of these items in your car.

Before you depart, take dated photos or a video of your personal belongings. Take important papers such as insurance policies, ID, stocks, bonds, credit cards, phones numbers, and cash. Bring enough supplies for 7 to 14 days: water, dry goods, clothing, batteries, flash lights, blankets, first aid kit, medications and a car charger for your cell phone. Be sure to charge your cell phone and fill your car with gas. Turn off your electrical breakers. Remove any items near your windows.

HURRICANE WARNING: A National Hurricane Center warning announcing sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or higher associated with a hurricane, can be expected in a specific coastal area in 24 hours or less. When a hurricane warning is issued, all precautions should be taken immediately. If the hurricane’s path is unusual or erratic, the warnings may be issued only a few hours before the beginning of hurricane conditions.

A HURRICANE is a violent storm originating over tropical waters with sustained winds over 74 miles per hour. The winds, as in tropical depressions and storms, blow in a counterclockwise direction around the center. The diameter of these storms range from 100 to 1,000 miles. To make the predicted hazards of an approaching hurricane easier to understand, hurricane forecasters have developed a disaster potential scale that assigns storms to five categories. This scaled is called the SAFFIR/SIMPSON Scale, see below:

Category Wind Speed Storm Surge Damage

1 74-95 MPH 4-5 feet minimal

2 96-110 MPH 6-8 feet moderate

3 111-130 MPH 9-12 feet extensive

4 131-155 MPH 12-18 extreme

5 over 155 MPH over 18 feet catastrophic

The following websites offer useful hurricane information:

www.nhc.noaa.gov/

www.ready.gov/hurricanes