Every Windmill Harbour resident should understand and be prepared for an evacuation during the hurricane season. The purpose of this brochure is to assist you before, during and after an evacuation. Please keep this information with you during an evacuation.

Know the Difference
	Hurricane Watch: Hurricane is possible within 36 hours.
	Hurricane Warning: Hurricane is expected within 24 hours
	Voluntary Evacuation: Evacuation is recommended but not required.
	Mandatory Evacuation: The Governor has ordered an evacuation.

Until the Governor Rescinds Mandatory Evacuation
	Re-entry onto Hilton Head Island is prohibited.
	Re-entry into Windmill Harbour Plantation is prohibited.
	All emergency services (ambulance and fire) cease.
	9-1-1 will not be answered.

Weather Web Sites:
http://www.co.beaufort.SC.US/Emerg_mgt
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
http://www.weatherunderground.com

http://www.disastersrus.org

What To Do Now
	Prepare your Evacuation Plan
	Be certain you have adequate insurance on your home and its contents. This should include flood insurance from the Federal Government through your home insurance carrier. Flood insurance has a 30-day implementation delay.
	Photograph or videotape your home and its contents for insurance purposes.
	Make copies of family and personal records.

When a Hurricane Watch is Issued
	Stay tuned to a local radio or television station for the latest National Weather Service advisories and for special instructions from local and state governments.
	Check your battery-powered equipment. Your battery-operated radio could be your only source of information, and flashlights will be needed if utility services are interrupted. Buy extra batteries.
	Keep your car's gas tank full. Service stations may become inoperable once the storm strikes.
	Store drinking water in clean bathtubs or in jugs and bottles. The water system may become contaminated or damaged by the storm.
	Obtain extra prescription medications and medical supplies.
	During this time you MAY install ARB-approved hurricane shutters and board up windows and doors. Windows are broken mainly from wind-driven debris. Wind pressure may break large windows, garage doors and double entry doors. Taping windows does NOT keep the glass from breaking; it merely confines the broken glass.
	Secure outdoor objects that might become debris. Garbage cans, garden tools, toys, signs, porch furniture and a number of other harmless items become deadly missiles in hurricane winds.
	Moor your boat securely well in advance of the storm, or move it early to a designated safe area. Do NOT stay on your boat.
	BE AWARE that some areas may flood long before the storm arrives. Evacuation is complicated by the fact that the Hilton Head Island area is densely populated and may require evacuation orders to be issued earlier than one day before the storm's arrival. Don't get caught by the hurricane in your car on an open coastal road.
	If the Beaufort County Emergency Management advises evacuation of your area, DO SO IMMEDIATELY. Keep your car radio on and listen for further instructions, such as the location of emergency shelters.
	Because tornadoes are often spawned by hurricanes, be alert for tornado watches and warnings. In case of a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately in an interior bathroom or small hall, preferably below ground level.
	Learn the local evacuation routes.
	Trim dead wood from trees around your house.
	Check for loose rain gutters and down spouts.
	Prepare evacuation supplies.
	Listen for weather updates and local information on these stations: 98.3 FM WGCO 98.7 FM WYKZ 106.9 FM WWVV 107.9 FM WLOW

What to Pack Prepare to be gone at least 48 hours.
	Cash and credit cards
	ID and driver's license
	Insurance policies, name of agent and telephone number
	Evacuation Map (From Island Packet or Beaufort County Website)
	Inventory of household contents
	Copies of family and personal records
	Road maps and alternative routes to destination
	Cell phone and battery charger
	Change of clothing for at least two days
	Protective clothing and sturdy shoes
	Prescription medicines and supplies
	First-aid kit
	Bottled water and canned beverages
	Non-perishable food
	Can opener
	Flashlight and extra batteries
	Portable radio and extra batteries
	Blankets
	Relatives' and friends' telephone numbers and local telephone book
	Extra roll of toilet paper
	Gloves and boots for cleanup after hurricane
	This booklet

When a Hurricane Warning is Issued . . .
	Move outdoor objects, such as porch furniture, grill, garbage cans, hanging plants, etc., into the garage or house.
	Store drinking water in clean containers and fill bathtubs with water, should the water supply be contaminated.
	Park extra vehicles in the garage.
	Leave a message on your answering machine so that relatives and friends will know when you left and where you are going. Know your answering machine codes so that you can retrieve messages and change the recording.
	Establish a contact (neighbor, friend, Realtor or house sitter) who can assist you in getting your house ready in case you are out of town. If you are part time or gone for the summer, this is particularly important.
	If you have a pool, cover the pump filter.
	If told to do so, shut off your water, electricity and gas.
	Empty perishables from refrigerator and freezer
	Lock doors and windows before you leave.
	Complete and drop off the WH Evacuation Checkout Form at the gate as you leave if you have not already turned it in.
	Arrange for family members who need extra assistance. Contact Med Trans, 21 Dillon Road, at 342-3444, or in extreme cases, Beaufort County Dispatch at 341-4720.

Your Pets . . . Do NOT leave pets behind. Take them with you.
	Make arrangements with off-island friends or hotel reservations where pets are permitted.
	Make certain pets are wearing collars with current ID. Use adhesive tape and an indelible pen if the ID is not current, and tape the information to the pet's collar.
	Pack a pet disaster kit in advance, containing pet food, food and water bowls, medications, medical records, motion sickness pills for travel, sturdy leashes and/or pet carrier, current photo in the event of loss, pet bed and toys if space is available.
	For birds, reptiles and small animals, check with your veterinarian.

	TAKE COVER - Remain indoors during the hurricane. Blowing debris can injure and kill. Travel is extremely dangerous.
	STORM SURGE - Storm surge is a great dome of water that sweeps across the coastline near where the hurricane makes landfall. The surge, aided by breaking waves, sweeps everything in its path. This is the most dangerous part of the hurricane.
	FLOODS - Floods brought by the torrential rains of a hurricane are dangerous. Even though hurricanes weaken rapidly as they move inland, the storm can bring 6-12 inches of rain.
	WINDS - For some structures, wind force is sufficient to cause destruction. The greatest threat from hurricane winds is the debris - a deadly barrage of flying missiles such as lawn furniture, signs, roofing, trees, siding, etc.

	Evacuees could be kept off the Island for days, maybe even a week or more, so that emergency workers can assess damages.
	State and Federal disaster assistance will seldom compensate you for all your losses. In many cases, the assistance will come in the form of a low-interest loan.
	When you are allowed back onto the Island and into Windmill Harbour, it will take time for relief assistance to start, for all utilities to be turned on and for life to return to normal. Be patient.
	After a storm, be wary of strangers who want to sell you something or do work on your property. Hurricanes bring out con artists and crooks. Follow the recommendations of your insurance company.
	Remove hurricane shutters as soon as possible after a storm and when re-entry into the plantation is permitted.

	Wear rubber gloves and boots when cleaning up after floodwaters to avoid infection from sewage and other contaminants.
	When entering your home, check for structural damage. If possible, look under the house to inspect support columns or beams to make sure the structure is not in danger of collapse.
	Do not smoke, strike matches or carry open-flamed lighting because of the possibility of gas leaks. A flashlight is best.
	Open doors and windows to let the air circulate. This will help to remove odors, accumulated gas and help to dry out your house.
	Watch for snakes, both inside and outside your home.
	Save your emergency water supply for drinking and cooking until you are sure the water supply is safe. In the meantime, water can be purified by boiling it at least ten (10) minutes or by mixing one tablespoon of laundry bleach with one gallon of water at room temperature.
	Advise friends and family that you are safe.
	Contact your local insurance agent.

1. The use of temporary housing is limited to permanent residents who are rebuilding or repairing an existing home.
2. Temporary housing is defined as travel trailers, motor homes or manufactured homes.
3. The temporary housing must be located entirely on the property owned by the resident.

1. Place the debris in piles along the roadside; keep it off the paved surface.
2. Do not pile debris over water meters or fire hydrants.

1. No approval is required to remove trees that are uprooted, trees that have fallen across structures or trees that have fallen on the ground.
2. No approvals are required to repair structural damage that is less than 50% of previous existing condition, provided there are no modifications whatsoever from original plans, as on file with the WHARB, for such things as (but not limited to) exterior color, window types, walls, roof, texture materials (siding), etc.

1. Replacement exceeds 50% of the structural damage including, but not limited to, roof, walls, paint color, etc.
2. There are any substantive architectural design changes.