Whether you’ve never experienced a hurricane, or have been through several, it’s important to prepare now for the upcoming season which runs from June 1 to November 30. Start by making sure you have these essentials on hand:

• Seven gallons of bottled water per person
• A one-week supply of non-perishable food items
• Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio and batteries
• Flashlights and batteries, prescription medications
• Cell phone chargers, manual can opener, cooler and ice
• Disposable plates and utensils, paper towels and napkins
• Pet supplies, baby supplies, toilet paper, garbage bags
• Important documents in a waterproof, portable container
• Face masks and hand sanitizer

A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible, and a hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected. Your response to both should include securing loose items outside your home, charging cordless devices and cell phones, filling your car’s gas tank, and making sure you have some cash. Monitoring media will keep you up to date on the storm’s progress, and you’ll also be aware of any evacuation orders that are issued. Deciding ahead of time where you will go if told to evacuate, and communicating your plan to others close to you, will avoid hurried decision making and help you prepare.

If you’re home and the power goes out, report the outage at bemc.org, through SmartHub, or by calling (800) 682-5309. If it’s during the day you should close blinds and curtains to keep your home cool. Limit the number of times your refrigerator is opened by placing frequently used refrigerated items in a cooler with ice, and use battery-powered items only as needed.

You can monitor the restoration process in your area by using the outage map at bemc.org, and you can find information on how we restore power on the website as well. Please be assured we take each outage personally, and work as quickly as possible to get power back on for everyone. We’re committed to serving you to the best of our ability before, during and after every storm.