Sep 12, 2007 9:01 pm US/Eastern
Hurricane Minute: Make A Communication Plan
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Everybody in South Florida needs a hurricane plan but the fact is, too many people never get around to it.
But CBS4 Hurricane Expert Bryan Norcross says there's a simple way to take a big preparedness step that's both quick and easy and it focuses on communication and keeping the family in touch in case they get separated during or after a storm.
After Hurricane Katrina two years go, Houston's Astrodome was full of evacuees from 350 miles away in New Orleans. Many of them didn't know where some of their family members were or even if they were alive.
It's very easy to keep that from happening to you, even if you wait until the very last minute.
All you have to do it to take a piece of paper, rip it up, and write the name and phone number of an out of town relative on each piece of paper. Give one slip of paper to every member of the family. If you want to be fancy you can wrap the slips of paper in plastic wrap in case they get wet.
Now, if the worst happens and you get separated, everybody can pull out their piece of paper with the phone number and call the out of town relative and let him or her know where they are and how they are doing.
It's important that the family contact be out of town in order to be sure that they aren't caught in the storm as well.
Bryan Norcross stresses that if you didn't do anything else, make a communications plan.
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