Sind Sie für den Hurrikan Irma vorbereitet?

With Hurricane Irma already slamming islands in the Caribbean and moving closer to Florida, counties in South Florida have begun making preparations and Governor Rick Scott already declared a State of Emergency. Schools in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are closed on Thursday and Friday.

Click to view the latest path and advisories.

For further information on preparing for a hurricane, you can click to The Official Broward County Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

Residents can call the Emergency Hotline 24/7 at 311 or 954-831-4000 for information on evacuation zones, routes and shelters.

In Broward County, residents east of Federal Highway and barrier islands, along with mobile homes and low lying areas, have been ordered to evacuate on Thursday.

Broward County Evacuation and Shelter Information

As of 2pm 9/6, no official evacuation orders have been issued for Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

Hurricane Irma Preparation and Supplies List

FEMA recommends keeping an emergency supply kit on hand at all times — especially when the threat of a severe weather event arises. The kit should include:

- At least one gallon of water per person in the household per day for at least three days 
- A three-day supply of non-perishable food, and a can opener if necessary (including for your pet)
- Any important family documents (insurance policy statements, bank account information, passports, birth certificates, etc.)
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- A flashlight with extra batteries
- A first-aid kit
- A week’s supply of any prescription medications, and an extra pair of glasses
- Cash
- A complete change of clothing
- Local maps
- A whistle in case you need to signal for help
- A dust mask
- Duct tape
- Moist towelettes
- Garbage bags
- A wrench or pair of pliers
- Infant formula and diapers if you have young children

More Helpful Tips:

1. Take photos today or tomorrow of every room, every piece of electronics, and everything valuable. Upload the pictures to the cloud – Dropbox, Microsoft Cloud, iCloud, Google Drive, etc. – before the storm.

2. Also take photos of important documents and upload them as well.

3. Secure your photographs and albums in double plastic bags.

4. Plastic bags and duct tape are your friends. You can’t buy too many of them. Put documents in gallons-size (or larger) Ziploc bags. Put larger items in double large trash bags cocooned so the opening of the first bag is in the bottom of the second bag. Put some clothes in plastic bags in case you get a roof leak. Duct tape bags closed. Put valuables on a high shelf in a closet.

5. Think now about where you are going to park your car. A parking garage is ideal. Outside in a low-lying area or under a tree is the worst. Next to a building on the downwind side gives you the best chance if you have to leave your car outside.

6. Do your laundry and wash your dishes before the storm.

7. Your dishwasher is an excellent “safe” in your house if you need someplace to put valuables. Your washer and dryer can offer good protection as well. These could be good places to put your bagged-up photos, for example.

8. Fill Ziploc bags ¾ full of water and stuff them in your freezer to fill up the space. The less air you have in the freezer, the longer your refrigerator will stay cold. Do NOT turn your refrigerator to any lower setting than normal – that can damage the unit.

9. Choose a friend or relative out of town to be the contact point for your family or group of friends. After a storm, it is always easier to get a call out of the area than within the storm zone. Be sure everybody has the out-of-town number and make a plan to check in ASAP after the storm.

10. If you live in a high rise, be sure you know what the procedures are going to be in the building. Will the building be evacuated? Will the water continue to work? Will elevators work? What is on a generator? If you can stay in the building (if it’s away from the water) find an interior hallway on a low floor where you can set up camp during the storm. It will not be safe to be on a high floor or near windows, even with modern hurricane impact windows. A hallway surrounded by concrete is your best bet.

11. Think about what you will sit on if you are in a hallway or other safe spot for a number of hours – maybe 12 hours or more. Consider comfortable folding chairs. Take food to your safe spot. Have books or other non-electronic amusements, including for the kids.

12. Do NOT count on your cellphone for communications. When Harvey hit Texas as a Cat 4, it knocked out the mobile phone system. In addition, your battery may run down and you may have no ability to charge it. In any case, it’s essential you have a portable AM/FM radio that you can leave on so the entire family can hear what’s going on with the storm.

13. Any outdoor loose belongings should be brought inside if possible. Furniture, banners, potted plants, flags, etc. Objects that are too big to bring in must be securely anchored.

15. Most importantly, be sure you know a safe place where you and your family can ride out the storm. This is the most critical decision you can make today. There almost certainly will be evacuations ordered for parts of Florida. If you live near the water, put together the food, clothes, valuable items, and important papers you’ll take with you NOW. Leave as early as possible. There will be a lot of cars on the road and you may not find a hotel in the entire state of Florida.

We are all hoping for the best, but we must be prepared for the worst. Take the time now, while you still can, to complete any necessary actions to ensure the safety of you and your family. We'll get through this together!