EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
At a minimum
Water - Two gallons per person per day for at least three days for drinking and sanitation. Fill a bathtub to use for toilet flushing. Buy plastic bottled water or store in plastic containers, not glass.
Food - At least a three-day supply of non-perishable meals
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
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Manual can opener for food if non-perishables contain canned items
Local maps
Cellphone with chargers
Prescription medications and glasses
Infant formula and diapers
Pet food and water
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, ID and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
Family emergency contact information
Cash or traveler's checks and change
Additional items to consider
Sleeping bag or blanket for each person
Complete change of clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes
Fire extinguisher
Multipurpose tool
Matches in a waterproof container
Duct tape
Dust mask to filter contaminated air
Feminine products and hygiene items
Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
Paper and pencil
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Source and more information: www.scemd.org
PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY
Bring loose items inside - Lawn furniture, trash cans, toys, garden equipment, clotheslines, hanging plants and any other objects that may fly around and strike property should be secured or brought inside.
Leave trees and shrubs alone - If you have not already cut away dead or diseased branches or limbs from trees and shrubs, do not now. Rubbish collection services will not have time before the storm to pick the piles up.
Turn off electricity and water if you're leaving town - If you're evacuating, turn off the electricity at the main fuse or breaker, and turn off water at the main valve before leaving.
Leave natural gas on - Unless local officials advise otherwise, leave natural gas on to be able to use for heating and cooking when you return home. If you turn it off, a licensed professional is required to turn it back on, which could take weeks after a storm.
Move valuables to the center or top of your home -Move TV sets, computers and other electronics away from windows and to higher levels of the house. Wrap them in sheets, blankets or burlap.
Source: Sumter County Sheriff's Office
FOOD SAFETY WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends consumers take the following steps to reduce food waste and the risk of food-borne illness during weather events:
Before a power outage
* Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer to ensure temperatures remain food-safe during an outage. Safe temperatures are 40 degrees or lower in the refrigerator and 0 degrees or lower in the freezer.
* Freeze water in 1-quart plastic bags or small containers to use as ice packs if the power goes out.
* Freeze refrigerated items such as milk and leftovers you may not need immediately to keep them at a safe temperature longer.
* Have coolers on hand to help keep food cold.
* Group food together in the freezer - the igloo effect helps keep food cold longer.
* Try to have as much non-perishable food as possible so less is wasted during an outage.
During a power outage
* Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is kept shut, and a full freezer will do so for about 48 hours.
* Put meat and poultry to one side of the freezer or on a tray to prevent cross-contamination of thawing juices.
Food safety after a flood
* Do not eat any food that came in contact with flood water, including raw produce and milk and egg cartons.
* Discard any food not in a waterproof container that may have come into contact with flood water, including plastic wrap, cardboard boxes, snap lids, pull tops or screw caps.
* Throw out any damaged canned food, including from swelling, leakage, punctures, fractures or rusting.
HELP YOUR LINEMEN
Electric company workers put themselves in danger when they try to restore power to neighborhoods during hurricanes, and one Sumter-based cooperative leader gave a tip that could help linemen monitor power restorations.
Leave porch lights on throughout the hurricane so when the power goes out and linemen respond to the area, they will see the power come back on when the outdoor lights return, said Charlie Allen, CEO of Black River Electric Cooperative.
Erik Hayes, director of the Sumter County Emergency Management Office, which serves, both the city and county, said power outages should be reported to the homeowner's electric company - not 911.
Here is the latest on Hurricane Michael, its forecast affecting Sumter, South Carolina, and the Southeast and related information you need to know.
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3:55 p.m.
Saint Leo University will close its education centers at Shaw Air Force Base and in Sumter on Thursday, Oct. 11 because of the threat of Hurricane Michael. University officials hope to open the centers again on Friday.
--- 1 p.m. Forecasters said it could bring 3 to 6 inches of rain to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, triggering flash flooding in a corner of the country still recovering from Hurricane Florence. "I know people are fatigued from Florence, but don't let this storm catch you with your guard down," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said, adding, "A number of homes have rooftop tarps that could be damaged or blown away with this wind." While Florence took five days between the time it turned into a hurricane and the moment it blew ashore in the Carolinas, Michael gave Florida what could amount to just two days' notice. It developed into a hurricane on Monday. --- From The Associated Press --- 11:45 a.m. The Palmetto S.C. Region of the American Red Cross is readying its workforce and staying in close contact with its government and community partners as Hurricane Michael continues its travels toward the Florida Panhandle. Those efforts are happening as hundreds of Red Cross disaster-workers continue to help residents impacted by Hurricane Florence. Monday night, more than 30 people spent the night in one shelter in South Carolina. Already, the Red Cross has provided nearly 24,000 overnight shelter stays in the state. Together with its partners, the Red Cross has distributed more than 200,000 meals and snacks to South Carolinians in need. --- 11 a.m. Hurricane Michael quickly intensified into a Category 2 over warm Gulf of Mexico waters Tuesday amid fears it would strike Florida on Wednesday as an even stronger hurricane. Mandatory evacuations were issued as beach dwellers rushed to board up homes just ahead of what could be a devastating hit. The speed of the storm barreling toward the Florida Panhandle — Michael was already well north of Cuba and moving north-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph) — gave many people a dwindling number of hours to prepare and flee before being caught up in damaging wind and rain. "Guess what? That's today," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said. "If they tell you to leave, you have to leave." The hurricane's effects will be felt far from its eye. Forecasters said Michael's storm winds stretched 370 miles (595 kilometers) across, with hurricane-strength winds extending up to 35 miles (55 kilometers) from the center. --- From The Associated Press --- 10:30 a.m. The death toll from Hurricane Florence has increased to a total of 51 as another hurricane now bears down on the southeastern United States. North Carolina's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the death of a 68-year-old man in Onslow County on Sept. 20 was a storm-related fatality. The office says he died of a "natural disease" made worse by storm cleanup. His name wasn't immediately released. That raises North Carolina's toll to 40. Another 11 deaths in South Carolina and Virginia have been blamed on Florence. The Carolinas are bracing for more wind and rain on Wednesday from Hurricane Michael, which is churning toward Florida's Gulf Coast and is expected to drive inland after landfall. --- From The Associated Press --- 10 a.m. Hurricane hunter aircraft report Michael is still strengthening. Currently, maximum sustained winds are at 110 miles per hour as it is 335 miles south-southeast of Apalachicola, Florida. It is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall. The forecast shows it heading straight toward Sumter after making landfall Wednesday and may reach the central South Carolina area Thursday. --- From The Associated Press --- 9:50 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9 Emergency officials across the Carolinas are warning residents to monitor Hurricane Michael, which is expected to move through the region after coming ashore along Florida's Gulf Coast. They're expecting heavy rain, tropical storm-force winds and tornados beginning Wednesday. South Carolina's emergency management director Kim Stenson said the severity will depend on the storm's intensity after it blows over Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Residents of the Carolinas are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which struck the Atlantic coastline last month. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the southern two-thirds of the South Carolina coast, from Florida up to the South Santee River. --- 9:55 a.m., Monday, Oct. 8 Shaw Air Force Base is operating at a Hurricane Condition 4 (HURCON 4), which means destructive winds are possible within 72 hours. The base is maintaining normal operations.
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