Hurricane Florence: Shelters, Safety Tips and Resources.

Hurricane Florence:  Shelters, Safety Tips and Resources.

Formed by an intense tropical wave off the west coast of Africa, Hurricane Florence is now positioned to devastate the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. 

As the storm approaches, it is crucial to properly prepare and follow protocol set into place by your local officials. 

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has ordered a mandatory evacuation of several coastal counties, click here to see if your area is being evacuated. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has also ordered mandatory evacuations for coastal counties, click here to see if you reside in one of these counties. 

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has declared a State of Emergency for all 159 Georgia counties.  

Governor Ralph Northam has issued a mandatory evacuation for Zone A in Coastal Virginia. 

Governor Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency for Maryland and Governor Jim Justice has declared a State of Preparedness for West Virginia

Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency for Washington, D.C.

Delaware has not delcared a state of emergency, but keep up with the latest on the DEMA website.  

Utilize a gas tracker to find the nearest available fuel, as some stations are running low. Be sure to follow road signs and not your GPS when evacuating.

It is important to be prepared. Be sure to check FEMA’s key safety tips. They have an app that you can download for your phone, as well. There are also a variety of other sources such as the National Hurricane CenterSave the ChildrenReady.gov and American Red Cross to aid you in finding shelter, food and water, emergency supply kits, and helping your children to cope with the impact of the storm. Stay updated with the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards to follow the trajectory of Hurricane Florence.

To find shelters near you text SHELTER and a zip code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example, SHELTER 12345. You can also find a list of shelters from the following resources:

Register yourself as being safe and well or find missing loved ones:

Ready.gov's Hurricane Resources: