The following is a press release from St. Mary's County Government:

May 15-21 is Maryland Hurricane Preparedness Week

St. Mary’s County Government asks residents to take action now to prepare

Leonardtown, MD – May 15 – 21 is Hurricane Preparedness Week in Maryland. The St. Mary’s County Department of Emergency Services & Technology is teaming up with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) to promote citizen awareness and preparedness. The Atlantic Hurricane season lasts from June to November. Most hurricane-like weather is seen mid-August and late October. St. Mary’s County is most at risk for strong winds, heavy rain, inland flooding, and other severe weather.

“Residents should prepare for flooding, since that is a high risk in our area during a hurricane,” said Commissioner President Randy Guy. “Determine if you live or work in a flood prone zone and know how to evacuate. If there is a hurricane in the forecast, listen to emergency officials and keep lines of communication open with your friends, family, and neighbors.” In addition, residents can take the following actions now in order to prepare for hurricane season:
 Clear out rain gutters so water doesn’t back up and end up in your house.

 Around the dinner table, talk to your family about where you would meet in the event of an emergency.

 If you have pets, identify some pet-friendly hotels in case you have to evacuate.

 Program “In Case of Emergency” contacts into your phone.

 Teach friends and family members to text on their cell-phones, text messages can often get through when phone calls can’t.

 Make copies of important documents for your emergency kit. (medications, medical information, proof of address, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.) Consider putting them on a secure flash drive, as well.

 Get an extra set of house and car keys made for your emergency kit.

 Download the free MARYLAND Prepares mobile app, which includes weather and emergency alerts at mema.maryland.gov/Pages/mdprepares.aspx.

 Teach everyone how to turn off the utilities in your house (electricity, gas, water, etc.) so they can do it in case of an evacuation.

 Pick up canned goods when your store has a sale, they will last a long time and ensure you will have something to eat if you can’t go out to the store.

More information can be found on the web at prepare.stmarysmd.com and mema.maryland.gov.

(Reference: St. Mary's County Government Press Release No. 2016 – 107 May 16, 2016 10:00 a.m.)