![Have a place to go](place_to_go.gif)
Develop
a family hurricane preparedness plan before an actual storm threatens your area.
If your family hurricane preparedness plan includes evacuation to a safer
location for any of the reasons specified with in this web site, then it is
important to consider the following points:
If
ordered to evacuate, do not wait or delay your departure.
If possible, leave before local officials issue an evacuation order for your
area. Even a slight delay in starting your evacuation will result in significantly
longer travel times as traffic congestion worsens.
Select
an evacuation destination that is nearest to your home, preferably in the same
county, or at least minimize the distance over which you must travel in order
to reach your intended shelter location.
In choosing your destination, keep in mind that the hotels and other sheltering
options in most inland metropolitan areas are likely to be filled very quickly
in a large, multi-county hurricane evacuation event.
If
you decide to evacuate to another county or region, be prepared to wait in traffic.
The large number of people in this state who must evacuate during a hurricane
will probably cause massive delays and major congestion along most designated
evacuation routes; the larger the storm, the greater the probability of traffic
jams and extended travel times.
If
possible, make arrangements to stay with the friend or relative who resides
closest to your home and who will not have to evacuate. Discuss with your intended
host the details of your family evacuation plan well before the beginning of
the hurricane season.
If
a hotel or motel is your final intended destination during an evacuation, make
reservations before you leave.
Most hotel and motels will fill quickly once evacuations begin. The longer you
wait to make reservations, even if an official evacuation order has not been
issued for your area or county, the less likely you are to find hotel/motel
room vacancies, especially along interstate highways and in major metropolitan
areas.
If
you are unable to stay with friends or family and no hotels/motels rooms are
available, then as a last resort go to a shelter.
Remember, shelters are not designed for comfort and do not usually accept
pets. Bring your disaster supply kit with
you to the shelter. Find
Pet-Friendly hotels and motels.
Make
sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.
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