Hurricane prep starts with protecting the safety of you and your family. No matter how fortified a home is, it may need help to stand up to the forces outside. We'll look at what you should know about evacuating.

Orders to Stay at Home

If emergency authorities order you to stay home, it's because they've made a calculated decision about the degree of danger your family could face should you leave. If you are asked to stay home, here are a few tips to prepare:

• Stay by the TV or radio for updates and have an emergency supply kit should you be asked to leave.
• Keep away from windows. This may mean going into a closet if you need rooms with windows.
• Don't go outside for any reason when asked to stay home. Even the calmest weather can turn on a dime.

Orders to Leave

If authorities tell you to leave, it's time to evacuate. Pay attention to their directions on where and how to get there. If they tell you to take specific routes, it's essential to follow them. The roads they recommend may be clogged with traffic, but alternative roads may be flooded or unusable. (Floods can occur anywhere, even in areas that aren't directly impacted by the hurricane.)

Here are our tips if you need to leave:

• Take what you need. This usually includes medication, ID, and your cell phone/charger.
• If there's any time, turn off your utilities and unplug your appliances.
• If you have pets, talk to emergency officials about animal protocol.

These tips depend highly on where you live and the severity of the hurricane. We recommend a dry run before you have to evacuate. For instance, if you have specific questions about pet policies in the middle of the storm, you may not receive a timely answer.

Where to Go

If you're asked to leave by the authorities because you're in a hurricane evacuation zone, they will typically provide you with the name and address of a shelter. You should pay attention to the wind speeds to get ahead of the hurricane. You'll likely be asked to leave once winds reach around 110 miles per hour.

If you live in a particularly flood-prone area, it's essential to have a plan of action if water starts to seep in. Start calling around to family, friends, motels, and hotels in safe areas as far ahead as possible.

If you're concerned about getting stuck in the eye of the hurricane, you may not want to wait for emergency officials to step in. Use our recommendations to help you weather the storm long before it hits. Consider getting a customizable flood quote from NatGenAgency.com to take your prep a step further.