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Natural disasters and catastrophic events can dramatically impact your life and sometimes situations occur without warning. How many of the stakes steps to prepare for these unexpected events? If a Category 2 or 3 hurricane hit Long Island and wiped out normal services for a couple of weeks, are you prepared? Do you have a plan?
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LIPA, the Long Island power authority in partnership with the American Red Cross wants to help you be ready for any potential emergency. Planning ahead will make it easier for you and your family to remain safe. Here are some actions you should take any event of an emergency. For example a hurricane, hurricane season lasts from June to November. Well before the start of the hurricane season prepare a disaster plan. Put together a family disasters apply kit including water, food, clothing, tools, first aid and a specially prescription medications. Have enough items for everyone in your family to last a minimum of three to five days.
Include phone numbers of family members, schools, insurance companies and emergency phone numbers. Put in important documents you can get a complete check list from the American Red Cross. Keep a flashlight handy for every member of the family with plenty of extra batteries. Avoid using candles as they can be a fire hazard. Have a battery powered radio or TV available. LIPA will issue regular bulletins to local TV, radio, and newspapers. You should also store supply of Canned Food with the manual can opener. Keep a standard phone in your home as phone lines maybe remain operational. If you have electric water pump keep spare containers of water for cooking and washing.
Plan for relatives or neighbors who are older or who have special needs. Pull a life of customer representative today at 1-800-4970-0025. If someone in your family uses life support equipment make prior arrangements for boarding or a safe location with extra food and water for pets. Shelters in many hotels do not allow animals. Review your insurance coverage now and take photographs to inventory your household items to help with insurance claims. If you live in a low lying area, consider flood insurance.
Next directions to take when it appears a hurricane may impact your community. Under a hurricane watch, a hurricane may threaten your area within 36 hours. When a watch is issued, check your preassembled disasters supply kit. Fuel up your vehicle. Bring your furniture, trashcans and other outdoor items inside. Get some cash. Monitor local media for information about the storms progress. If a hurricane warning is issued expect winds with at least 74 miles an hour or dangerously high water and rough seas within 24 hours. Have materials available to protect your windows and doors. Unplugged major appliances and sensitive equipment like TV’s and computers incase of power lost to reduce damage when power is restored.
When it is time go to an interior window list room in your home with your disaster supply kit. But remember if local officials advised to evacuate, do so at once. If you are evacuating, close all windows and interior doors before leaving. Turn off water at the main valve and electricity at the main switch or fuse. For natural gas, contact your local gas company. Any to do list is not complete without actions to take after the storm. Life is especially concerned about your safety with regard to electricity. Do not move or touch any fallen power lines or anything or anybody in contact with one. Avoid transformer boxes. Standing water maybe electrically charge from underground or down to power lines.
When operating a portable standby generator make sure it is not directly connected to your home wiring. Improperly connected generators can present severe hazards to our repair crews working on your by electric lines and to your generator. When power resumes, turn on necessary items first one at a time to avoid overloading the system. Continue to monitor local media for update and information about the state of the emergency, the condition of roads and evacuated areas and the status of your local utilities.
In the event of a hurricane or major emergency in your area we urge you to follow these recommendations especially for weather related disasters because LIPA and the American Red Cross want you and your family to be prepared and safe before, during and after emergency. For more information about emergency preparedness visit Lipa or the American Red Cross at our websites.
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