Hurricane Preparedness

Don't miss a hurricane update!

Whether you are a full-time resident or a seasonal resident, knowing where to find information in case of a storm is the first step to hurricane preparedness. Waiting for a storm to nearly make landfall may make it difficult to secure supplies and be prepared when you find yourself in the path of a storm. Stay informed and follow local and national news networks to ensure you are prepared.

Hurricane Preparedness Resources & Helpful Links
Understand your options and how to prepare in case of a hurricane.
Food and Water Supplies
Understand your options and how to prepare in case of a hurricane.
Emergency Action Plan
An emergency action plan is an important part of ensuring your safety in an emergency. Read more for helpful information to stay safe.
Emergency Updates

Local & National Media Outlets

Before a hurricane:

Stay informed about the storm by monitoring local news and weather updates.
Stock up on essential supplies, such as food, water, batteries, and medications.
Refill your prescriptions early.
If you are in your third trimester of your pregnancy, please check in with your obstetrician's office.
Secure your home by boarding up windows and doors, reinforcing garage doors, and trimming trees and shrubs.
Have an evacuation plan in place if necessary and ensure your car has a full tank of gas.
Ensure that your important documents and valuables are stored in waterproof containers or taken with you if you evacuate.

During a hurricane:

Stay inside and away from windows, doors, and exterior walls.
Listen to updates and follow instructions from local officials.
Turn off electricity and gas if instructed to do so.
If flooding occurs, move to higher ground.
Avoid driving or walking through flooded areas.

After a hurricane:

Wait until local officials declare it safe to return home.
Avoid walking or driving through floodwaters.
Check your home for damage and turn off electricity and gas if necessary.
Contact your insurance company to report any damage and begin the claims process.
Stay informed about local recovery efforts and resources available to you.

Coping with Hurricane Ian

We’re all dealing with the impact from Hurricane Ian in different ways, but the stress we’re feeling can take a toll on our bodies. “Stress can impact your emotions, your behavior, your thinking, your body, it just really depends. When you’re thinking about it from the physical, it can increase your blood pressure, you can have shortness of breath, it can give you aches and pains, it can increase or make you lose your appetite, you can create some skin irritations like rashes, stomach aches, headaches.”

Lee Health Clinical Psychologist RoseAnne Illes said its normal for you to feel sad, angry, irritable, or guilty right now. “Because we’re adjusting, we’re dealing with it, and it’s out there, we’re living in it, so even if you’re OK, you go back into the world and the world is not OK.”

Doing things like eating right, sleeping well, taking time to meditate or just decompress and relax can help improve your mood. “You want to think about things of giving yourself some patience, and trying to get back a little bit to doing what makes you feel good. That could be hobbies that you like, or something that’s pleasurable, spending time with supportive people,” said Illes.

However, there are things you want to avoid. “You kind of want to stay away from things like alcohol and drugs, because people will sit there and try to do that to try to cope, and it might help right now, but it’s not going to help in the long run.” And if things aren’t getting better, help is available. “You’re a human, you’re going to feel a lot of reactions, but if they start to linger, like if you’re still feeling stuck, you can’t get yourself out of it, you’re really irritable, you’re snapping at friends, you can’t function, you may want to start reaching out with someone like us,” said Illes. You can find mental health resources on leehealth.org.

View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/

Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.

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Make a Plan with your Physician in Case of a Hurricane

FIND A DOCTOR

If you have a medical condition that requires ongoing treatment using medical equipment powered by electricity or medicines that require refrigeration, it is important to consult your physician BEFORE a natural disaster.