If you aren’t hurricane ready, what are you waiting for?

Although it hardly seems as if the rainiest days are upon us, hurricane season is fast approaching.

And now is not the time to put off disaster planning, Manatee County officials say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a prediction of an “above-normal” hurricane season in the Atlantic this year, which officially starts June 1. Last year, a “near-normal” season was expected.

“If you go back and you look in history and you look at Hurricane Andrew, that was supposed to be a slow season,” said Sharon Tarman with the county’s emergency management division. “But it only takes one hurricane to be devastating.”

No disaster plan is the same, but everyone should be prepared for at least three to seven days, Tarman said. Different considerations include kids, pets, medications, diet restrictions, clothes, water and how you might charge your cellphone when the power is out.

Knowing your evacuation zone and route is another way to reduce the stress of leaving at a moment’s notice. Manatee County recently updated its evacuation maps, which can be found on the county’s website at mymanatee.org.

How will you know when to evacuate? The county will inform the media to pass along the information, or residents can sign up for notifications through CodeRED.

If you plan to evacuate, make a family plan as to where you will go. Whether it’s to a shelter or to a friend’s home, Tarman said residents should bring personal items like something to sit or lay on.

And protecting your home is not something to procrastinate over.

“You can get gas, water and food once a storm is heading our way,” said Sherilyn Burris, chief of emergency management in Manatee County. “But you can’t get insurance at the last minute.”

Flood insurance doesn’t kick in for 30 days. And even if you don’t have insurance, be sure to take photos of your home inside and out.

“As our federal government is facing budget cuts to disaster programs, there might not be any government assistance to residents after a storm,” Burris said.

Being self-sufficient is something Tarman stresses. All that time spent preparing before the worst happens can help alleviate stress when it’s most important.

“We always fight complacency, so that’s why we try and make sure everybody is aware,” she said.

This story was originally published May 27, 2017 at 1:58 PM with the headline "If you aren’t hurricane ready, what are you waiting for?."