While Hurricane Florence is moving closer to land, there is still time to perform simple actions to get your home ready for water and high winds.

Outdoors
- Clean gutters and drains
- Trim/prune trees to help prevent damage to trees and property
- Secure outdoor items as loose and light weight items may become projectiles during high winds
- Move items such as trash cans, outdoor furniture indoors
- Secure doors

Utilities
- Locate the main electric fuse or circuit breaker box, water service shut-off, and natural gas main shut-off.
- Teach family members when and how to turn off utilities.
- Clear the area around shutoff switches for easy access.
- Attach shut-off wrench or specialty tool to a pipe or other location close by the gas and water shut-off valves.
- Paint shut-off valves with white or fluorescent paint to increase visibility.

Home Safety
- Plan how to escape from your home in the event of an emergency.
- Identify at least two exits from each room.
- Clear doors, hallways, and stairs of obstructions.
- Conduct an emergency drill with your family; practice daytime and nighttime escapes, and pick a safe meeting place outside the home.