For updates and information about current hurricane and tropical storm advisories, visit: National Hurricane Center or National Weather service- Upton NY

Resources to help you prepare for hurricanes/ tropical storms: 

For preparedness resources for any hazard, population (elderly, kids, functional/access needs, etc)  and in multiple languages the Ready.gov website is a fa fantastic place to get started. 

• Ready.gov- Hurricanes
• Ready.gov- power outages
• Ready.gov- floods

American Red Cross:  Hurricane Preparedness     Power Outage Preparedness    

Federal Alliance for Safe Homes:  FLASH  and   #Hurricane Strong   

#Hurricane Strong- Preparedness Checklists: Checklists   

Gas stations with Generators:  CT DEEP Gas stations

 DEEP: Coastal Property Owners guide     

            Coastal property owners- tri fold brochure

AARP- Operation Hurricane:  English and Spanish

NOAA: Digital Coast   (an amazing collection of digital maps and data related to climate and coastal issues) 

Preparedness resources for kids and families:

Hurricanes and Tropical storms can be frightening for children, but there are some great resources to help be better prepared for emergencies. The sites below have materials for kids as well as parents/caregivers and educators. 

• Ready Kids
• Prepare with Pedro- This is a fantastic program from FEMA and the American Red Cross that helps children prepare for all types of hazards. Activity and storybooks are available in multiple languages. 
• #Hurricane strong for Kids
• Sesame Street- Emergency Preparedness

Mobile Apps

There are some great apps that can help you prepare and stay informed and safe during emergencies. Each of these apps offers different tools and resources, but most importantly will send weather alerts in real time to help you stay safe. 

• American Red Cross- Emergency   (note the ARC has several other great apps including first aid, pet first aid and donating blood). 
• CT Prepares
• FEMA  (this app is especially helpful after a disaster declaration has been issued and you are submitting a FEMA claim)

After the Storm/Disaster Recovery

After the storm, residents may have questions about next steps. Disaster recovery can be a long and stressful process, hopefully these resources can help. 

If a storm causes significant damage in the State, the Governor may request a Presidential declaration and FEMA assistance. Part of this process includes affected municipalities providing damage information. The City may ask residents and businesses to submit this information and photos. If the impacted counties, meet the required cost and damage thresholds to qualify for FEMA or SBA funding, then additional information will be provided through the City's website, media (news and tv), social media and other tools. 

• Staying safe after a disaster- Immediate steps
• Ready.gov- Recovering from Disaster
• FEMA- Individual Assistance
• Coping with Disaster

We understand many residents and businesses want to start the repair process as soon as possible. However, some repairs may require a permit. To save headaches later, please visit the City's Planning and Zoning page before beginning any work. 

City of Norwalk- Planning and Zoning

Flood Clean up tips: 

• Wear heavy work gloves, protective clothing and boots during clean up and use appropriate face coverings or masks if cleaning mold or other debris. 

• People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work.
• Be aware that snakes and other animals may be in your house.
• Be aware of the risk of electrocution. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Turn off the electricity to prevent electric shock if it is safe to do so.
• Avoid wading in floodwater, which can be contaminated and contain dangerous debris. Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water.
• Use a generator or other gasoline-powered machinery ONLY outdoors and away from windows.

After the Flood safety tips: Flood Safety | Flood Preparedness | American Red Cross

Food Safety After a Power outage: When in Doubt- Throw it out!

If you lost power in your home, use these guidelines to tell if your food is safe to eat. 

• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours, as long as the door was kept closed. If your freezer was fully packed, it will keep food safely cold for 2 days. If your freezer was only half full, it will keep food safe for 1 day. 
• Throw out any raw or cooked meat, poultry, seafood, milk and dairy products, cooked vegetables, eggs, cooked pasta and pasta salads that were kept above 40 degrees F for 2 hours or more. 
• You can keep some foods at room temperature for a few days: butter, margarine, dried fruits, salad dressings, peanut butter, jelly, barbecue sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives, hard and processed cheese, and bread.

Residents who lost food as result of the storm and power outage, should check their homeowner or renters insurance policies. Many will cover lost food as a result of power outages.  For food safety tips following a power outage visit: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/food-safety-during-a-power-outage.html

Transportation

For information on delays or cancellation of transportation services due to inclement weather, please visit: