In Palm Beach County, preparing to stay home during a hurricane is generally the safest plan.
Even for a catastrophic category 5 storm, evacuation is more risky than staying home where you have prepared to hunker down. There may be damage to your home and property, but if you have prepared a safe area in your home, stay there, rather than try to flee.
Last minute evacuations catch people unprepared and stuck out on roads in traffic jams or in parking with no source to re-fuel a vehicle that has spent 12 hours to travel a distance that usually takes 2 hours. Not to mention..try to find a shelter with room or a hotel with vacancy. Not going to happen.
If you know you are going to evacuate during a storm. Leave early. Leave early. Leave early. So early that people think you are over reacting. Be cautious and safe. Prepare your home and then leave with the supplies you will need for at least 72 hours. Prepare a backpack for each member of your family to use before, during, and after the storm.
Do you know if you are in an evacuation/flood zone? Here is the map for Palm Beach County. Don't wait until the last minute to discover that you should be gone. If you are in one of these areas, know where you will stay before, during and after the storm.
If you are in an evacuation zone and want to stay in the area, where will you go? Friends? Family? A shelter? Where are the shelters? Which shelters accept pets? What if you have special needs? Special needs shelters have limited space and require advance reservations and applications
Check HERE for Palm Beach County emergency shelter information.
And remember...don't wait. There is no need for a last minute frenzy.
Stay safe!
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