Experts give advice for severe storm preparation

DELMARVA – Hurricane Debby has already made landfall in Florida, but the worst of the storm has yet to come. Although it won’t be a hurricane once it reaches Delmarva, the threat of flooding and severe weather will be serious, and experts have some advice on preparing for the worst.

“Let’s just be realistic, if there is a flood, help can’t necessarily get to you,” and that’s why safety precautions are a must, according to Director Lorenzo Cropper Wicomico County Department of Emergency Services. He says with Hurricane Debby we have time to get prepared, and they already have a checklist 5 days in advance, and civilians should too. “Make sure that we’ve got 72 hours of food and water and whatnot, for example- it’s one gallon of water per individual per day so you know, make sure that you’ve got that available.”

Cropper says making sure you have all the little thigs can make a big difference, like gas in your car, and people try to hold on, but it’s not the smartest idea. “Make sure that you’ve got canned food in the case you lose the electric, something that you can just heat and eat, make sure that your cell phone is charged up, all those little things are the things that you need to do prior to the storm… So, if you are asked to evacuate, prior to the event, I hope you really consider evacuating versus trying to ride it and hope for the best. Life is precious, it’s not something to be gambled with at all.”

Our Chief Meteorologist Rich Wirdzek says timely weather reports from local news outlets provide important context when information is constantly changing, so be sure to stay updated, and to stay on top of weather worries, make sure you follow your local media for important updates.