June is National Hurricane Month

The best time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens, Health and Senior Services Commissioner Mary O’Dowd said as she encouraged residents to prepare an emergency kit and review emergency plans in advance of hurricane season.

“National Hurricane Month in June is the perfect time for families to plan ahead in the event a major hurricane should strike New Jersey,” said Commissioner O’Dowd. “To protect yourself and your family, it is important to review and update emergency plans, have an emergency kit on hand, and to stay informed.”

The following are tips that will help to prepare in advance of a hurricane situation:

·        Know your town's evacuation routes.

·        Store flashlights (with batteries), candles and a transistor radio (with batteries).

·        Designate a meeting place for your family during an emergency.

·        Have emergency contact numbers easily accessible.

·        Make sure that you have at least a 3-5 day supply of non-perishable food and water.

·        Include prescription medications, baby supplies and any additional items for special medical needs.

·        Place an emergency kit in your car.

The DHSS website has a page dedicated to preparing for natural disasters, with specific information on hurricane preparedness.  Visit this website at www.nj.gov/health/er/natural.shtml to learn the specific things you can do to protect your family's health and safety.

For an extensive list of how to put a family emergency kit together, visit http://nj.gov/health/er/documents/kit.pdf.

For more information, visit:

·         DHSS Emergency Preparedness - http://www.state.nj.us/health/er/index.shtml

·        New Jersey Office of Emergency Management  - http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/

·         Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hurricane Preparedness: http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes