Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Pre-Storm Preparations

(72 Hours to 24 Hours in advance)

School Personnel (Principals, AP’s, & Custodial Staff)

Meet with staff and perform a storm preparation assessment.  Survey the site structures and the surrounding areas for loose materials and potential flying objects.  These are to be taken indoors and tied down.  These may include, but not limited to:

•             Garbage Cans
•             Portable Playground Equipment
•             Storage Drums
•             Flower Pots

Remove the following items that are installed outside and may be damaged by wind:

•             Remove flags from flag poles.

Make sure all site drains (including courtyards) and parking lot drains are free of debris and clear.  Check to make sure you have enough sand bags for doors that are prone to flooding. 

Take pre-storm photographs of the school campus, facility grounds, and property at the beginning of hurricane season.  Note the date, time, and location of each picture taken.

**Move all books, papers, electrical cords, and technology equipment as far as possible from windows.  Store these items above the floor and cover with plastic when possible, to protect from water damage due to flooding.  All audiovisual devices and computer equipment located in a room with windows shall be covered with plastic and stored above the floor.  Facility Services will issue additional plastic as needed, when requested in a timely manner. **

Verify hand-held radios are fully charged.  Please keep the radio in the charger, unless in use.

Custodial Staff shall verify custodial supplies and equipment are adequate for clean-up after the storm.  (Wet/Dry vacs, mops, buckets, squeegees, etc...)

Media Centers are to secure and protect their priority collections.

Distribute working flashlights to personnel who are designated as first to return after the storm.

Make sure all PCS vehicles (Buses) are parked in a safe place, away from trees.

Close and fasten all windows.  Lower all blinds.  Lock all doors.

Locate and make available the following emergency supplies.  These may include:

•             Flashlights and batteries
•             Handheld radios (chargers and batteries too)
•             Golf carts or other all-terrain vehicles

Ensure that the telephone numbers and instructions for contacting appropriate departments are available to personnel for implementation of the post storm procedures.

Science & Trade Labs

•             Secure all lab equipment
•             Shutdown the gas service
•             Store inside whenever possible:  all loose boards, lumber, sheet metal, and drums.

Athletics

Remove all windscreens on tennis courts, baseball fields, batting cages, and backstops, etc.  This will prevent high winds from bending over fences (causing expensive repairs.)

Verify all out-building doors and windows are locked and secured.

NOTES:

• All equipment in mobile units should remain in the units and not be transferred inside buildings. The wind-load rating for mobile units is similar to your buildings.  Therefore, there is no need to relocate your computers, printers, etc...
• The Superintendent will announce the closure of the school system. At the time of the closure, all personnel must leave school system property.  Exemptions must be approved by the Superintendent.
• Take any additional precautions considered necessary for the protection of the particular facility or site.
• Facility Services will check each school’s roof for loose debris and make sure that the drain heads are cleared. We will also verify that all roof mounted equipment doors are secure.

Post Storm Actions

If an emergency situation exists at your school, please contact the District Operations Center (DOC).  This line is monitored 24/7.

REMEMBER:  Be especially alert for potential hazards on your sites.  Power lines that were brought down in the storm, downed trees, leaning trees, etc...  If you have these kinds of situations, please contact Facility Services.  Report all electrical outages to Facility Services and the electrical utility company.  Please let Facility Services know if this type of situation happens, as we will need to have electricians on stand-by.

Contact Facility Services to report the initial status of electrical power.  Notify Facility Services once power has been restored. 

Take photos after the storm and prior to clean-up.  This is imperative for insurance and FEMA reimbursement.  Use your camera to document all damage from multiple angles. 

All storm-related repairs shall be submitted as soon as possible in our building maintenance work order system.

Immediately remove any wet ceiling tiles and insulation from the building.  Submit a custodial inventory request for replacement tiles.  (Note how much is needed for each area) 

In the event that water has entered the building in a manner that cannot be handled by onsite personnel or equipment (carpet extractors), please contact Facility Services for contracted water extraction services. 

Once the building interior is stable, work on the facility exterior, picking up debris and putting it into piles of vegetative and non-vegetative.  The piles shall be located away from student traffic.