Hurricane season is upon us, and we are all endeavoring to be prepared. This year, staying prepared for hurricanes and tropical storms is especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and an above-normal hurricane season forecast.

As an emergency response and recovery partner, AshBritt Environmental understands how important storm preparedness is for your family and your community. Below, AshBritt Environmental has outlined best practices and considerations to prepare for this hurricane season.

Start thinking about your evacuation plan now. This year make sure your evacuation plan accounts for social distancing and other pandemic considerations. Going to a local emergency shelter should be a last resort to limit possible exposure to COVID-19. Make a plan today with friends, family, or other safe lodging options in case you need to evacuate.

Organize your disaster supply kit. Your kit should include items such as:

• Medications and medical devices (at least two weeks’ supply)
• Flashlights, a radio, and cordless phone chargers
• Cash
• Pet care items
• Clothing
• Special needs items
• First aid items, food, and water (at least seven days’ supply)
• Important documents and phone numbers
• COVID-19 supplies such as face masks, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer

For a detailed list of recommended items for your disaster supply kit, visit FloridaDisaster.org.

Check your insurance coverage. Make it a priority to check in with your insurance providers ahead of time to review your coverage and insurance plan. By figuring out ahead of time what your insurance policies cover, and importantly, what is your responsibility to take care of ahead of a storm, you can save time and money down the road.

Do a maintenance check. To protect your home from wind and debris damage check your roof, windows, doors, garage doors and any fastening devices or straps used to secure items in storms.

Make sure you don’t forget possible risks around your home’s perimeter. Consider a thorough check for dead or dying tree limbs and any other possible debris. For more information on how to properly secure your home, visit FloridaDisaster.org.

Budget for storm expenses. Right now many people are struggling economically, but taking the time now saves time in the future and investing money now saves money in the future. If you are able, consider adding a line item in your rainy-day fund for storm preparation to cover expenses like filling up your car with gas, buying disaster kit supply items, or covering deductibles and other storm-related costs.

Start making a plan today. While you prepare ahead of the storms, AshBritt Environmental has a plan for keeping our communities safe after natural disasters by providing emergency management services and partnering with local small business to help with recovery efforts in the following ways:

• Operations planning for hurricane response; typical operations include emergency push which clears routes to shelters, hospitals, and critical infrastructure and removes impacted trees and dangerous power lines immediately after a storm and debris collection operations;
• Partnering with cities and counties to do tabletop training exercises;
• Building our relationships with local contractors and businesses to ensure locals are ready to respond to hurricane operations if and when needed;
• Supporting cities and counties with their public information hurricane preparedness campaigns.

While there are more factors to consider this year as we all strive to be prepared, with thoughtful pre-planning and partnerships, we can weather the storms successfully together.

For additional information on how to partner, prepare, or support disaster response, visit AshBritt.com.

Brittany Perkins Castillo is the Chief Executive Officer at AshBritt Environmental, the leader in U.S. disaster response and recovery services, and a member of the company’s Board of Directors.