A Boater's Guide to Hurricane Readiness

Planning, preparation and timely action are the keys to saving lives, preventing injury, and reducing property damage to pleasure boats and live-aboard vessels in a hurricane.

Each boat owner needs a plan specific to the vessel, for where it is normally kept and for where it might be moved for protection.

STATE POLICE
Public Advisory Reference Recreational/Special Use Vehicles

During emergency evacuation procedures boat trailers, horse trailers, motor homes, motorcycles and similar special use vehicles pose unique problems which can be avoided by advance planning and preparation. It is important to consider that these vehicles may not only be difficult to manuever in congested traffic conditions, but also that evacuation routes over bridges, elevated roadways and flat unbroken terrain will be subject to high winds that will make movement potentially hazardous. In fact, it is probable that after actual evacuation procedures are underway access to affected bridges and highways by these types of vehicles will be denied by public safety officials.

Consequently, the following tips are offered to citizens wishing to remove special use vehicles from harm's way. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive; citizens are directed to contact local or state police and emergency management offices for timely and detailed instructions pertinent to specific incidents. And, as always in emergency conditions, common sense and sound judgement must prevail.

- Identify in advance an adequate storage location at minimum safe distance.
- Learn alternate evacuation routes and utilize them early to avoid dangerous conditions, congestion and denied access to certain highways.
- Maintain and inspect vehicles regularly to ensure safe and reliable operation. - Equip vehicles with serviceable emergency items such as spare tires, jacks, lug wrenches, lighting, flares, tie- downs, extra fuel, necessary tools, etc.
- Remember! Property considerations are secondar to the health and safety of human lives.

The key to success is advance planning, preparation and movement of property before an officially declared evacuation is underway.