The Postal Service wants employees to prepare for hurricane season, which runs from June 1-Nov. 30 each year.
Most coastal areas are subject to hurricanes. The storms can cause high winds, heavy rain, flooding and other dangerous conditions.
Planning may be different this year because of the need to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus. Give yourself more time than usual when taking these steps to prepare:
• Complete a personal preparedness plan that includes a household inventory and the location of important family documents. Share copies with relatives or friends.
• Store enough food and water to last at least three days. One gallon of drinking water per person per day is recommended.
• Create a personal preparedness kit and include items such as hand sanitizer — or bar or liquid soap if sanitizer isn’t available — and cloth face coverings in the event of evacuation.
• Prepare your home for hurricane force winds or flooding.
• Prepare a first-aid kit and make plans for pets.
• Know your community’s hurricane plans, including evacuation routes. When you check on neighbors and friends, be sure to follow social distancing recommendations.
• Keep contact information current using a physical address — not a PO Box — and mobile telephone number. Go to the Life Changes LiteBlue page and update your address if necessary.
If a hurricane is expected, call the USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline (888-363-7462) for work schedule or reporting-time change information.
The National Preparedness Blue page has more information, including emergency response checklists and the USPS Hurricane Preparedness Guide.
The National Hurricane Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ready.gov and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sites have additional information.
