Orangeburg County encourages being prepared for major storms

Each year, we witness the devastating impacts that hurricanes can cause. Hurricanes are not just a threat to coastal communities. High winds, heavy rainfall, tornadoes and flooding can be felt hundreds of miles inland, potentially causing loss of life and catastrophic damage to property. As Hurricanes Sandy and Isaac remind us, it is not just major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) that we need to worry about, but all hurricanes have the ability to cause significant damage.

Knowing your risk, getting prepared, and staying informed are just a few steps you can take to get ready for hurricane season. For local information, go to the Office of Emergency Services page on the county’s website (www.orangeburgcounty.org) and click on the Code Red Weather Warnings to sign up for alerts. Know your risk: To search for general information about risks in your area, visit www.ready.gov and search for your state. Check out NOAA’s historical hurricane tracks tool to check the severity and frequency of past hurricanes in your area.

• Get prepared: Take action to be prepared for hurricanes. As the storm approaches, it is often too late to get ready. Make sure you have family evacuation and communications plans, update your emergency supply kit, and evaluate your flood insurance needs.
• Complete a family communication plan. Plan how you will assemble your family and loved ones, and anticipate where you will go for different situations. Get together with your family and agree on the ways to contact one another in an emergency, identify meeting locations, and make a Family Emergency Communication Plan.
• Download the FEMA app. The FEMA app includes disaster resources, weather alerts, safety tips and a new feature that will enable users to receive push notifications to their devices to prepare their homes and families for disasters. The app also provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and recovery centers, tips on how to survive disasters, and weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
• Check your insurance coverage. Many states have increased deductibles for hurricanes and not all hurricane-related losses are covered under traditional policies. Most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damage or losses from flooding. Review your policy, ensure you’re adequately covered and understand exclusions, and contact your agent for any changes. If you’re not insured against flood, talk to your agent or visit www.floodsmart.gov. Renter’s insurance policies are also available and should be considered as a way of protecting your belongings.
• Stay informed: Know where to go for trusted sources of information during a hurricane event. Have several ways to receive alerts. Sign up for alerts from the local emergency management office so notifications, including evacuation orders, go directly to your phone and email. Go to the Office of Emergency Services page on the county’s and click on the Code Red Weather Warnings to sign up. Monitor local news for hurricane watches and warnings in your area and follow directions of local officials. Make sure you have a battery-operated or hand-crank radio available should the power go out.

Visit this story at TheTandD.com for a list of related websites.

Additional information is available at:

www.orangeburgcounty.org

www.crisistrack.com/public/orangeburgSC/citizenRequest.html (to report property damage)

www.facebook.com/OrangeburgCounty/

www.facebook.com/OrangeburgCountyEmergencyServices

www.ready.gov/hurricanes

www.sc.gov

www.redcross.org

www.scemd.org

www.weather.gov/safety/tornado

www.energy.gov/articles/preparing-power-outage

www.floodsmart.gov/first-prepare-flooding.

www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/family-emergency-communication-plan.pdf

www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/ready_checklist.pdf