Residents Are Urged To Prepare Now For The Effects of Hurricane Sandy
By: Bryan Tolle, Meteorologist
Updated: October 31, 2012
Barbara Miller, Director, Jefferson County Homeland Security and Emergency Management says, "I can tell you that I will take advantage of this storm system to ask our residents to get prepared for this storm and the winter ahead."
And this advice is not only good for residents in Jefferson County, but for all residents across the Four State Region.
Every family should have enough food and water and supplies on hand for themselves and their pets for at least a week. Food in your disaster supply kit should be non-perishable items that need neither cooking or refrigeration in case the power goes out.
Additional items for your disaster supply kit include the following:
- Battery powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and duct tape for shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Local maps
- Manual can opener for food
- Cell Phone with chargers, inverter or solar
- Fill your vehicle's gas tank prior to the storm
Every family should also have a family disaster plan of how they will communicate during disasters and what they will do or where they will go if they cannot go home or stay at home.
Residents need to stay alert and informed of weather conditions in their area, and the best way to do that is with a NOAA Weather Radio. If you have a NOAA Weather Radio or if you have signed up to get alerts from the National Weather Service, you will receive them as soon as they are issued.
Here are some useful links to stay ahead of the storm:
National Weather Service Forecast Offices:
Southern Pennsylvania: National Weather Service Forecast Office State College, PA
Western Maryland/Northern Virginia/Eastern West Virginia (Except Garrett County): National Weather Service Forecast Office Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
Garrett County, MD: National Weather Service Forecast Office Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NOAA/National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center
Federal Emergency Management Agency's Storm Preparedness Information
