Hurricane Weather Center


	Search for		More

Welcome

• Make TBO your Home Page
• Advertise with us
• Web site feedback

Photo by: ROBERT BURKE/Tribune
Shelters could get crowded during a hurricane. Officials allow 10 square feet per person when determining capacity.

Pick A Public Shelter If You Must, But Expect Only Basic Necessities

By NEIL JOHNSON of The Tampa Tribune

Originally Published: June 1, 2004

If you must evacuate, it's better to find refuge with a relative or friend than to go to a public shelter. However, if a public shelter is needed, pick one early and take a trip or two there to be familiar with the route. Test alternative routes. What to bring and what to expect:

Have enough clothing to last three days.

Bring important papers, telephone numbers, prescriptions and other necessities. Keep this evacuation kit with you or a family member at all times.

Pack pillows, sheets and something to sleep on. Inflatable mattresses are light and compact.

Have a flashlight and spare batteries for each person, and bring books, quiet games and activities.

If you bring a radio, CD or tape player, have earphones. It's courteous.

If you have special diet needs, bring those foods.

Guns, alcohol or pets are prohibited at public shelters.

You will be placed in hallways away from windows. Officials calculate 10 square feet of space per person as a shelter's capacity.

You will have food, likely school cafeteria food. If the electricity goes off, it may be cold food.

No smoking is allowed in a shelter or on any school property.

No one is allowed back into evacuated areas until roads are clear of debris, flooding and downed power lines.

Return to Top