Hurricane Preparedness Month National Preparedness Month is September of every year. It occurs during the height of hurricane season and the threshold of winter preparedness, making us all mindful that disasters can come year ‘round. United Way of Tampa Bay has partnered with Emergency Management, County Health and Human Services and other County Departments as well as not-for-profit, faith-based, civic, community and business entities to more strongly engage all partners in the development of collaborative preparedness, response and recovery plans. We all share in the responsibility of having a "prepared" community. United Way has created a Web link resource tool for your use. If you, your employer, your place of worship, your neighborhood does not have a plan, now is the time to make one. The following NOAA and FEMA Hurricane Preparedness websites were created to inform the public about hurricane hazards and provide knowledge which can be used to take protective action. This information can be used to save lives at work, home, while on the road, or on the water.  Visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml and http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/hu_season09.shtm for more information and resources. If you or your organization would like some training, please contact Sheri Taylor.   Disaster Services Get a kit.   Make a plan.   Monitoring and Information Preparedness and Kits An emergency preparedness shopping list American Red Cross Public Web Page American Red Cross Tampa Bay Chapter Be Red Cross Ready online tutorial NOAA Federal Alliance for Safe Homes FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency Florida Division of Emergency Management Department of Health Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council USAA Foundation   Evacuation Zones and Shelter Information Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Hillsborough County Pinellas County   Volunteering United Way American Red Cross Salvation Army 211 Crisis Center 211 Tampa Bay Cares Coast Guard Animal Care Special Needs Shelter Swine Flu Citizen Corps Council Community Emergency Response Teams Medical Reserve Corps HAM Radio Disaster Recovery Centers   Be informed. National Hurricane Center (TPC)  National Weather Service (NWS) NOAA State-wide information NWS Tampa Bay Weather Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council   Hurricane Relief United Way of Tampa Bay is a leader in disaster relief. In addition to organizing thousands of volunteers to help after a storm, funds are collected and distributed to provide direct relief to those in need. Are you prepared for a Hurricane? We all hope a hurricane will never hit our community, but it's wise to be prepared. Here are some helpful tips from the Federal Government's Department of Health and Social Services: Learn about your community's emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations of emergency shelters. Identify potential home hazards and know how to secure or protect them before the hurricane strikes. Be prepared to turn off electrical power when there is standing water, fallen power lines, or before you evacuate. Turn off gas and water supplies before you evacuate. Secure structurally unstable building materials. Buy a fire extinguisher and make sure your family knows where to find it and how to use it. Locate and secure your important papers, such as insurance policies, wills, licenses, stocks, etc. Post emergency phone numbers at every phone. Put important numbers in your cell phone's address book. Inform local authorities about any special needs, i.e., elderly or bedridden people, or anyone with a disability. Make plans to ensure your pets' safety. Be Informed

Sheri Taylor, Director Disaster Services 813.274.0900 Email: staylor@uwtb.org