DeLand, FL - With Hurricane Hanna making landfall in Texas on Saturday, another disturbance forming off the coast of Africa, and the fact that the next named storm starts with the letter "I", there's no time like now to make sure you are prepared for a hurricane. So says Jim Judge, Volusia County Emergency Management Director. "We're down to the "H" so the next one is Isaias and the tropics are heating up right now. The one that's coming off of Africa, I woud say that it's sort of in a sweet spot, in the Cape Verde area, so it does bear watching."
Judge says now is also the time to figure out your scenarios on whether you will shelter in place, leave the area or, if worse comes to worst, go to a county shelter. "Things are busier that we expected them to be but I would encourage the public to take note, now's a good time to review your preparedness plans."
The county has worked with Volusia County Schools to have more shelters available so social distancing guidelines can be more easily followed. With that being said, Judge reminds residents that a county shelter should be their last resort. If a county shelter is in your plans, he said to make sure you bring what you need for creature comforts and what you like to eat. The county will provide ready-to-eat meals but they won't have cots and pillows. Some shelters can help those with special needs and others are pet-friendly. To find information on shelters or anything else to do with hurricane safety and preparedness, visit volusia.org
