Preparing for a hurricane storm surge is much like preparing for the hurricane event itself. We will look at preparedness and mitigation. Two different concepts with one goal in mind: saving lives and property. Preparedness is focused primarily at taking certain action to reduce the risk to lives. Mitigation is a concept that involves taking measures to protect property. However, there are several mitigation strategies that can be implemented that will result in better protection of lives as well as property. The same holds true for preparedness- some preparation measures that protect lives also protect property. Your preparedness plan should be implemented well before hurricane season begins (June 1st every year). Your plan should include the following: Know the hurricane risks for your area. Find out if your home is subject to storm surge flooding. Inspect your property for potential problems that may arise during a hurricane. Trim back dead branches from trees, and take note of any objects that may become airborne during high winds. Consider installing permanent protection for your windows. Hurricane shutters offer excellent protection, but marine plywood panels of ½ inch thickness may be a more feasible form of window protection during a weather emergency. Learn how to install the panels and be sure to mark which panels will go where when needed. If you own a boat, plan ahead where you will put it in case of a weather emergency. Investigate flood insurance. Your insurance agent can inform you about the National Flood Insurance Program. Inventory your property by making a list, taking photographs, or making a video. Store records in a secure, dry place like your safety deposit box. Create a Family Disaster Plan and make sure family members know what to do. Assemble a Disaster Supply Kit. Plan your evacuation route. Make arrangements for Pets.  Emergency Shelters do not take pets. Make the commitment now to evacuate when told to do so by local officials. Once hurricane season begins, pay attention to the weather updates on television and the radio. Hurricanes do give us plenty of warning time, but they can seemingly be upon you when you least expect it (right before or during a family vacation when you're away from home). Remember that the National Hurricane Center issues a Tropical Weather Outlook every 6 hours from June 1 until November 30. This outlook will keep you up to date on any happenings in the Atlantic Basin. If there is going to be a hurricane threat, a hurricane watch will be issued at about 36 hours prior to the arrival of hurricane conditions. Hurricane conditions include winds of hurricane force (74 mph or greater), torrential rains and dangerous sea conditions. Preparatory actions that should be taken during a hurricane watch include: If there is time, move furniture and electronics to the highest level of your home. Go over your evacuation plan in case the order is given to evacuate. Communicate with family members often to ensure that everyone knows what to do and when. If you own a boat, go ahead and follow your emergency weather plan for safe storage/harbor of your boat. Keep paying close attention to the progress of the hurricane via any means possible. Be ready to act quickly if & when a hurriane warning is issued. Listen to local officials Check often for official bulletins on radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio Fuel Car Check mobile Home tie-downs Moor small craft or move to safe shelter Stock up on canned food Check supplies of special medicines and drugs Check radio, flashlight batteries, manual can opener Secure lawn furniture and other loose material outdoors Tape, board, or shutter windows to prevent shattering Wedge sliding glass doors to prevent lifting from their tracks Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly Review evacuation plan A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane conditions are actually forecast for a particular area within 24 hours. Action must be taken in a quick and effecient manner to protect life and property. Below are some guidelines to follow during a hurricane warning: Listen to local officials Stay tuned to radio, TV, or NOAA Weather Radio for official bulletins Board up garage and porch doors Move valuables to upper floors Bring in pets Fill clean containers with several days supply of drinking water Turn up refrigerator to maximum cold and don't open unless necessary Use phone only for emergencies Stay indoors on the downwind side of house away from windows Beware of the eye of the hurricane Leave mobile homes Leave areas which might be affected by storm tide or stream flooding Leave early - in daylight if possible Shut off water and electricity at main stations Take small valuables and papers but travel light Leave food and water for pets (shelters will not take them) Lock up house Drive carefully to nearest designated shelter using recommended evacuation routes Avoid elevators Mitigation focuses on reducing loss to lives and property by taking long term action to prevent disaster. There are several mitigation strategies that communities and individuals alike can implement. Mitigation can take several forms: Promoting sound land use planning based on known hurricane hazards. Relocating or elevating structures out of the way of potential storm surge zones or floodplains. Buying Flood Insurance to protect your belongings financially. Developing, adopting and enforcing effective building codes and standards. Having hurricane straps installed to more securely fasten a structure's roof to its walls and foundation, a very common mitigation strategy. How can mitigation save money? Look at the computer generated images below. This set of images shows a beach home that has almost no mitigation strategies built into it. The building sits right on the ground- allowing even minor storm surge to enter the structure. Also, the propane tank is not properly secured and would likely pop loose once overtaken by ocean water. Plus, there is no protective dune system in front of the property- again making the structure vulnerable to ocean overwash and storm surge. Click Here to view an animation of the above scenario. Now take a look at the same structure with some basic mitigation strategies implemented. The most noticable (and most expensive) measure was to elevate the structure above moderate flood stage. Indeed, not too many buildings will survive the storm surge of a category four or five hurricane, but those hurricanes are extremely rare events. Since the storm surge from a category one or two hurricane is about 4 to 10 feet, we can defend against it. By having a solid dune line to protect structures from ocean overwash and battering waves and mandating that propane tanks be elevated and secured will minimize the damage that would otherwise be sustained. One form of long term mitigation along coastal areas is beach re-nourishment. By simply pumping vast amounts of sand back on to the beach areas, coastal communities can add another layer of defense to combat the effects of storms. But just adding more sand is not enough. A solid dune line, complete with thick vegetation, offers great protection against minor storm surge and especially battering waves. In the simulated beach above, notice the obvious difference in having more beach between development and the ocean. Plus, a well established dune system adds even more protection against the elements of the sea.