Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, are you prepared?

June 1, 2014

Photo courtesy of NOAA/NCEP

Here are some good tips for Walton area residents

Native Floridians are familiar with the impact of hurricanes and the damage it can do to property, life and environment. However, many newcomers are not aware of the what is important to prepare for, should a large storm approach our area. It is important to have valuable information before hand. Here is a list of actions you should take to prepare.

The Clyde B Wells bridge (U.S. Hwy. 331) shuts down at 45 mph SUSTAINED winds.

For further information, please call the citizen information hotline at 850-892-8394 or 850-892-8392.

Stay tuned in to local weather advisories with the helpful links below:

Click here for tracking information and discussion on all hurricane information

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Click here for South Walton Fire District’s Beach Conditions

Click here for Walton County Sheriff’s Office information

 

Click here for National Weather Service advisories

Click here to download Walton County evacuation routes

If you are new to Florida, here is important information you should know to prepare for a hurricane: Click here

Don’t forget about your pets. Here is helpful information from our friends at Alaqua Animal Refuge with great info on pet friendly accommodations: Click here

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.

When 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.

Make sure that you fill up your car with gas, before you leave.