JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the National Hurricane Center monitors the next area of low pressure in the Atlantic that has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management is urging everyone to prepare -- and for more than having a few extra storm supplies on hand because of coronavirus.
Jared Moskowitz tweeted Sunday night about the area of low pressure out in the Atlantic.
@FLSERT watching this one closely. Now is the time to make sure you have your 7 day Hurricane supply. https://t.co/WkWzSh1ZFq
— Jared MASKowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) July 26, 2020
The check-list of hurricane supplies includes:
- Enough food and drinks for at least seven days
- Important documents, such as insurance cards, bank numbers and a copy of your social security card
- First aid kit
- Flashlight
- Radio
- Cash
New to the list this year: Face masks, cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer
The Red Cross has also released an updated plan to safely open hurricane shelters amid the pandemic. It said:
Under its new guidelines, shelters with a capacity above 2,500 are not recommended. Shelters should also have 60 feet of space, per person, to maintain social distancing. According to NPR, the recommendation was about half that before the pandemic, but officials show there isn't enough space in a "worst-case" storm.
All workers must be wearing personal protective equipment and face masks or coverings will be required for all.
News4Jax has partnered with Ace Hardware to help people Build a Kit That Fits, where you can print out a list of needed hurricane supplies.