Hurricane prep

Look up your evacuation zone, decide where you'd go (family or friends outside the zone first, a hotel, a shelter last) and how you'd get there. Plan for pets.

Water (a gallon per person per day), food that doesn't need cooking, medicines, a flashlight and batteries, a battery or hand-crank radio, phone chargers, cash, copies of IDs and insurance papers, and supplies for pets and babies.

Homeowner and renter policies don't cover flooding. A new flood policy usually takes 30 days to start, so buying one when a storm is coming is too late.

People who rely on oxygen or power-dependent equipment, or can't get around easily, should sign up for the Florida Special Needs Registry before a storm.

Bay County and the cities announce sand and sandbag sites when a storm threatens; they show up at the top of BayCounty.me's Hurricane prep page and on each government's news page. Bring a shovel; many sites are self-serve with a limit per household.

Fill bags about two-thirds full so they lie flat. Lay them like bricks, overlapping, with the folded end tucked under, and press each one down. Sandbags slow shallow water; they don't stop storm surge.

Run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never in a house, garage, carport, shed or crawl space, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide has no smell and kills in minutes.

Use battery or battery-backup CO alarms on every level of the home. If one sounds, or you feel dizzy, sick or weak, get to fresh air and call 911.

Backfeeding through a dryer or wall outlet can kill line workers and neighbors. Use heavy-duty outdoor extension cords, or have an electrician install a transfer switch.

Turn it off and let it cool before adding fuel. Store gas in approved cans away from the house.

When an evacuation order names your zone, leave early with a full tank. If you're outside the zones, shelter in place in an interior room. Mobile and manufactured homes are often included in orders anywhere in the county.

Bring in or tie down anything that can blow away, cover windows, fill prescriptions, charge phones and power banks, and photograph your home and belongings for insurance.

Wait for officials to say an area is open. Stay away from downed lines and floodwater, which can hide debris and be electrified. Re-entry rules are on the county's re-entry page.

Generators, chainsaws, heat and downed power lines hurt and kill people in the days after a storm. Keep generators outside and at least 20 feet from the house, and treat every downed line as live.

If your water utility issues a boil-water notice, bring water to a rolling boil for one minute (or use bottled water) for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice until the notice is lifted.

After a major disaster declaration with individual aid, apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or 800-621-3362. File insurance claims early and keep receipts for repairs and hotels.