Numerous misconceptions hinder residents from effectively planning and preparing for natural disasters. To eliminate these obstacles, let's debunk some common myths below.

Hurricane Preparedness Week starts Sunday, May 5

After a tropical storm or hurricane exits, there is always an urge to get back to your residence, inspect the damage and begin to put the pieces back together.

Many people pay close attention to weather forecasts leading up to a tropical storm or hurricane, but it’s very important to pay close attention to forecasts and alerts during the storm.

One of the biggest topics if you live along the coast or in low lying areas is preparing an evacuation plan. But there are some key things to think about before evacuating.

Having a written plan will take out the guesswork

It is Hurricane Preparedness Week -- an important reminder that Hurricane Season is less than a month away and NOW is the time to get ready.

Many hands make light work.

Is your home ready for hurricane season?

Do you have flood insurance?

Get that hurricane kit ready to go.

This year, St. Johns County residents have new evacuation zones.

Will you need to evacuate before the storm?

A summer-like pattern continues through the weekend and will take us through the first week of May.

Step one to being prepared is to determine your risk.

But there are a number of items you may need that don't necessarily come to mind at the store. The initiative, a partnership between News4Jax and Ace Hardware, is designed to help you get an early start on hurricane preparations, tailor shopping lists to fit your needs and save money while you're at it. News4Jax and Ace Hardware looked at what items were in demand in the days leading up to and after Hurricane Irma struck Florida. "We're thrilled the terrific local owners at our 26 neighborhood ACE Hardware stores want to help get all of us ready too. Our shared goal is for all Jacksonville area residents to get ready early, and the ACE Hardware Store in your neighborhood is offering significant money savings to help."