HURRICANES: Prepare well for upcoming storm season Hurricane evacuation procedures set for base personnel

Myth: The Navy will tell you when to evacuate your residence.

Fact: This will occur only if you live on base. Evacuation decisions should be based on where you live. Those residing east of the intercoastal waterway will have a much different evacuation calculus than those living in Lake City, Fla. The bottom line is to listen to your local authorities and keep a close eye on forecasts and storm track predictions.

Myth: The NAS Jax commanding officer will tell you where to go in the event of an evacuation.

Fact: There are too many variables associated with destructive weather in Northeast Florida to pre-select an evacuation site that could handle the volume of personnel anticipated should the NAS Jax commanding officer order an evacuation. Everyone should develop several personal courses of action that allow flexibility should a hurricane's track dictate a preferred evacuation route. Guidance will be given concerning a mileage limit from NAS Jax for travel reimbursement purposes but it will not dictate final location.

Myth: NAS Jacksonville is a sheltering/evacuation site.

Fact: No, we do not have hurricane evacuation facilities or the capability to provide for evacuees at NAS Jax. Special accommodations may be made for medical hold personnel, hospital in-patients, Brig prisoners and Correctional Custody Unit personnel.

Myth: NAS Jax will provide transportation to evacuation sites.

Fact: NAS Jax will not provide transportation to evacuation sites, transportation should be part of everyone's personal evacuation plan.

The American Red Cross has a training program for local shelters and are actively seeking military volunteers to run shelters in the event of an evacuation. All volunteers who are trained and engaged with the American Red Cross will have a place to go locally.

The State of Florida has a Web-based training and planning guide that can assist you in developing a personalized family disaster plan. This interactive tool can be accessed at http://www.floridadisaster.org/family/.

This Web site will create a personalized family disaster plan that you can print and save for future emergencies. Included in your plan will be:

Recommended amounts of food and water based on your family information.

Contact information for your local emergency responders and maps of your local evacuation zones.

Checklists of important steps to take before, during, and after a disaster.

Remember, the best way to make your family and home safer is to be prepared before a disaster happens. Creating your plan is easy and only takes about 10-15 minutes.