[Times photo: Bob Croslin]

Plywood-covered windows send a message at hurricane time. Are you ready for the 2006 season?

Hurricane Categories

Heed the lessons of history
Four hurricanes in 45 days in 2004 taught Tampa Bay area residents one set of lessons: Be prepared, over and over again. Storms may veer from the neat track on the map. Inland is not necessarily a safe place to evacuate.
If you can stay home
If you can remain in your home - you are outside an evacuation area and do not live in manufactured housing - do so.
If you must evacuate
Be informed. Stay tuned to local radio and television stations for emergency broadcasts.
No lull before the storm
As the storm approaches . . .
Tips can help prepare your home
The Institute for Business and Home Safety in Tampa offers a checklist of things homeowners can do in the off-season to make their homes more hurricane-worthy.
With power comes responsibility
A generator may be your saving grace after a storm, but know the safety rules before you start it up.
The cost of keeping covered
Homeowners have a number of choices to protect their windows in a storm. The prices are as varied as the products.
The skinny on shutters
The time to think about window protection is now, not when a storm is bearing down. Figure out what's right for you.
Get the proper hardware for plywood protection
If you choose plywood to protect your windows, here's how to attach it properly.
Tie mobile homes down
Since 1995 building standards were imposed, factory-built homes can withstand very strong winds. But if the foundation and the tie-down and anchoring system are not intact or up to today's safety standards, you could be in for trouble.
Think ahead when making a grocery run
A pantry well-stocked with nutritious, tasty foods can remove some of the stress that comes with hurricanes. Some well-chosen comfort food helps too.
Forget the mythology
Save yourself a bit of useless work next time a hurricane threatens: A lot of battening-down wisdom is nothing more than wishful thinking.
Keeping your food and water safe
If I am told to boil water before drinking or cooking with it, how long must it boil to kill bacteria?
Now's the time to shore up insurance
Before hurricane warnings fly, find out what storm damages your home insurance covers and whether you need to add more protection.
Heed the lessons of history
Four hurricanes in 45 days in 2004 taught Tampa Bay area residents one set of lessons: Be prepared, over and over again. Storms may veer from the neat track on the map. Inland is not necessarily a safe place to evacuate.
Hurricane definitions
Terms to know.
Aftereffects of storms can buffet small businesses
The potential problems can reach well beyond storm damage.
Start recovery before the storm
Hurricane season has a way of bringing into sharp focus what's really important in life: ice and air conditioning.
Chain saws can help, but they can also hurt
The most important rule for chain saw safety is this: If you've never used one before, the morning after the hurricane is not the time to teach yourself.
Contract can be helpful in rebuilding
The Florida Home Builders Association has posted on its Web site a model residential rebuilding contract, designed to help homeowners who sustain hurricane damage avoid unscrupulous contractors.
Ill winds for homeowners
Two years of devastating storms have forced more Floridians to get their homeowner's insurance from the state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Take steps to protect swimming pool
How should I prepare my pool for a hurricane?
Ensure that pets weather the storm
They depend upon our care, and planning for their safety before the storm strikes and after it has passed is a pet owner's responsibility.
Crisis may keep caregiver away
If you or a relative depend on outside assistance in the home, make a plan now in case that aid is interrupted.
Older adults should prepare for care
The extra stress and anxiety from a hurricane can create additional health problems for the elderly, especially those who need help from a caregiver.
Special-needs shelters should bea last resort
The shelters offer basic monitoring. A private home usually is a more comfortable option.
How to cope when nature calls
Power outages or sewer line problems may require us to fashion our own portable potties.
Keeping your boat afloat
Take precautions and strengthen your boat's moorings before a storm enters the gulf.
Keep vehicle prepared for a safe getaway
A well-maintained and well-stocked car could be the difference between life and death if a major hurricane strikes.
Routine maintenance helps trees stand up to winds
Your home landscape is more likely to survive a major storm if trees and shrubs are healthy and properly cared for throughout the year.
Board can't check absent owners' units
What are the board's responsibilities after a hurricane to winter residents who are not here to check on their units?After the flood: a drying time for home owners
If your home is flooded, here's what to do...
When hurricanes raise the roof
If it turns out that your roof isn't hurricane-proof, how do you select a contractor to repair it?
Documents determine damaged condos' fate
What would happen if a condominium were destroyed by a hurricane?
How vulnerable is your garage door?
It's a favored wind target and, depending on its age, you may want to think about reinforcing it and its hardware - or, better yet, investing in a new door that's up to 2002 codes.
Seven days of self-reliance
Emergency management officials say those who are able must be ready to keep their families fed and functioning for a week after astorm.
What to do before the storm...
1. Start planning how you will protect your windows and doors. Shop for window protection (shutters, screens, rolldowns). If you decide to go the plywood route, buy it now, cut it to size, predrill holes and label the pieces. Learn how to protect your garage door.
Batteries, sure, but how about these items?
You've stocked up on canned tuna and flashlight batteries. Here are some items you might not think to add to your hurricane supplies.
Keep vital documents close at hand
If you have to evacuate, you'll want to take necessary and hard-to-replace documents. Here's a list of what should be in a waterproof, lockable container you can easily grab.
Essentials for your hurricane kit
Here are some basic items you'll need to stock your hurricane kit.
Questions about surviving the storm
I have some bottled water left from last summer. Is it still safe to drink?
Beyond the hurricane kit
How you prepare not just for the storm but for its aftermath could make the difference between misery and relative comfort.