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    • Home
    • About
      • About
      • Board of Directors
    • CART
      • What is CART?
      • Area CARTs
      • CART Resources
      • Volunteer Form & Info
    • News and Events
      • News
      • Upcoming Events
      • Hurricane Preparedness
    • Resources
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • For Veterinarians & LVTs
      • Equine Disaster Response
    • How you can help
      • Make A Donation

(804) 346-2611

Virginia SART
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Board of Directors
  • CART
    • What is CART?
    • Area CARTs
    • CART Resources
    • Volunteer Form & Info
  • News and Events
    • News
    • Upcoming Events
    • Hurricane Preparedness
  • Resources
    • Disaster Preparedness
    • For Veterinarians & LVTs
    • Equine Disaster Response
  • How you can help
    • Make A Donation

Are you prepared? Be ready before the storm

National Hurricane Preparedness Week

The  week of May 13-17, 2024, has been designated by the Virginia Department  of Emergency Management (VDEM) as Hurricane Preparedness Week in  Virginia. The official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is June 1,  however VDEM officials want to let residents and visitors to the  commonwealth know the importance of how to respond to the threat of a  severe storm or hurricane.


"As  Virginia braces for the hurricane season, we urge all residents to  prioritize safety and readiness,” says VDEM Chief Agency Spokesperson  Jason Elmore. “With proactive planning and community cooperation, we can  navigate any storm with resilience and strength. Let us come together  to ensure all Virginians are prepared for whatever may come our way."


Here are some important tips to ensure your safety before, during, and after severe weather.


Make a plan:

  • If you need to evacuate, you can move faster if you've already thought about what to do.
  • Determine in advance where you'll go and your evacuation route(s).
  • Know how you'll communicate and reconnect if your family isn't together when a storm hits.

Build a kit:

  • Have emergency food, water, and other supplies to last at least 72 hours.
  • A good time to build your kit is when there isn't an imminent threat.
  • Take the needs of individual family members like seniors, babies, and pets, into consideration.
  • A list of suggested items can be found at https://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare/emergency-kit 

Prepare your home:

  • Before  a hurricane, you'll need to prepare your home by cleaning out drains  and gutters, checking the yard and removing or securing anything that  could become a projectile like bicycles, planters, grills, and lawn  furniture.
  • Cover doors and windows.
  • Check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector's battery.
  • For these and other tips, visit vaemergency.gov/threats/hurricanes/ 

Purchase or renew flood insurance:

  • It  typically takes up to 30 days for a flood insurance policy to go into  effect, so it's better not to wait until a storm is imminent.
  • People  often don't realize until it's too late that separate policies are  needed for protection against wind and flood damage because a regular  homeowners insurance policy doesn't cover them.

Know your evacuation zone:

  • The  Virginia Department of Emergency Management designed evacuation zones  for all coastal regions to simplify the process of determining whether a  resident should evacuate or shelter at home in an emergency based on  their address. Look up evacuation zones at https://www.vaemergency.gov/know-your-zone 

Stay informed:

  • Sign up for emergency alerts from your local office of emergency management and know where to get the latest information.
  • Follow VDEM on our social media accounts


For more information from VDEM, please visit: www.vaemergency.gov


Is your Pet Emergency Go Bag ready? Use the download below to view more information how preparing your go-bag and tips on preparing for natural disasters.

National Hurricane Preparedness downloads

SART go-bag checklist (pdf)

Download

Make a Plan (pdf)

Download

Stay Informed (pdf)

Download

Large Animal Tips (pdf)

Download

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