Contact Person:
Brad Owens, Director
Prince George Fire & EMS
804.722.8614
October 26, 2012

When disaster strikes, the County of Prince George will you be prepared? County staff is preparing for Hurricane Sandy and the potential impacts. Weather experts are predicting that Hurricane Sandy will be a historic storm. The National Weather Service is anticipating rain to begin Saturday afternoon lasting through Monday afternoon with an anticipate rainfall amount of 4-6 inches in our area. The National Weather Service is also predicting increasing wind speeds beginning Saturday evening lasting trough Monday evening with sustained winds of 30-45 mph and gust ranging from 40-50mph.

There are certain things we know will occur: localized flooding, trees falling and disrupting travel, and power outages. What we don’t know is the widespread impact that it will have on the citizens of the county. This is why preparedness is so important. Now is the time to plan for this weather event. Below you will find a few steps we want residents and county employees to take. Prince George Fire and EMS asks citizens to have their supplies ready to last them for a minimum of 72 hours.

1. Get a kit. That kit should consist of:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food (i.e. peanut butter, spam, tuna, etc)
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food 
• Local maps 
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger. Keep your cell phones charged as well as portable electronics such as, laptops, ipads, Kindle, etc. 
• Hygiene products 
• Items to help pass time such as, books, board games, coloring books, i.e. 
• If you have small pets, remember to keep food for them

2. Make a plan. That plan should consist of the following:

• Establish a meeting place out of the neighborhood and in the neighborhood.
• Phone numbers of schools, work, medical facilities, and pharmacy.
• Establish who will be the out of town contact with primary and secondary persons.
• Keep important documents in a portable waterproof bag or container. Those documents should include: bank account information, insurance information, etc.

3. Stay informed.

• Having a NOAA radio can provide alert of a weather event.

Restorations of essential services are vital after a storm but those services could be out for days and even weeks as we have found with previous storms. Fire safety continues to be a concern during this type of weather events. Below you will find some fire safety tips:

• Generators should be kept outside and at least six to eight feet away from the home. This will provide ventilation for carbon monoxide to escape.
• Battery operated candles are safer than traditional candles
• Downed power lines are to be considered live

For additional information contact the Prince George Fire and EMS at 804-722-8614 or the Public Information Line at 804-733-2659.