Press Release(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser encouraged residents to begin preparations for Hurricane Isaias and the potential for heavy rains and wind activity to impact the District early next week.
The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) is the central coordinating agency for the District’s overall response to potential hazards, including hurricanes, and has begun emergency planning with partners at the District, regional, and federal levels. Additional information on the trajectory of Hurricane Isaias and its impact on the District will be provided to the public as it becomes more precise.
Residents can register to receive severe weather alerts on their devices by signing up for AlertDC at alertdc.dc.gov.
District residents and visitors should:
- Stay Informed through local radio, television or official social media accounts. Download the free HSEMA app or AlertDC to receive updates wherever you are.
- Build or re-stock your Emergency Kit to ensure you have supplies to last you at least three days. Ensure kits have been updated to address the impacts from COVID-19 by including items such as cloth masks, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfectant cleaning supplies, sanitizing wipes, and soap.
- Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family members may not all be in one place when disaster strikes. It is important to know what you will do in case of an emergency. Plan how you will contact one another, where you will meet, and how to communicate if you lose power.
- Make an emergency plan for your pets. If instructed to evacuate, take your pets with you.
- Visit the District Department of Energy and Environment website for flood and flood zone information. If your property floods frequently flooded, place sandbags in appropriate locations.
- Secure loose objects that are too unsafe to bring inside (e.g., propane tanks).
- Bring objects inside that could become airborne in high winds (e.g., patio furniture and garbage cans).
- If you have a generator, make sure it is in working condition and has a supply of fuel. Never bring a generator inside your home or workplace; harmful gases (carbon monoxide) can kill.
- Continue to monitor the weather and bring your pets inside when necessary. Visit the National Weather Service Baltimore-Washington website or Twitter for real-time information.
- Clean out your home’s gutters and empty out your rain barrels.
- Contact DC Water at 202-612-3400 to report any clogged sewer basins and clean out any trash or litter around sewer basins.
- Follow HSEMA’s Twitter and Facebook for updated information from District officials on potential storm impacts.
For comprehensive information on how to prepare for a hurricane, visit ready.dc.gov/hurricane.
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