The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30, marking a period of favorable conditions for a severe weather event.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) recently released 2018 hurricane forecast shows a 75% chance that the season will be near- or above-normal. NOAA experts are predicting 10 to 16 named storms, 5 to 9 hurricanes, and 1 to 4 major hurricanes.

At UCF, the Office Emergency Management closely monitors severe weather and prepares the campus to respond to and recover from natural disasters and other threats.

Each member of the UCF community should also take personal precautions. Follow the steps listed below, and remember that the best time to prepare for a storm is well before one is forecasted.

  1. Have a Plan

Know what to do and where to go before a hurricane strikes. Have a plan for evacuating and one for riding out the storm at home or a safe location closer to home. Know what your family’s plan is and where they will go so you can meet them once safe, if necessary. Also have a plan for what to do with your belongings and how you’ll protect your home.

  1. Prepare a Kit

A good emergency kit should help you to survive for at least three days. Be sure to include water, food, a weather radio, a flashlight, a first aid kit, batteries, a can opener, cash, a cell phone charger, identification cards and any prescription medications you may need. You should also include necessary personal sanitation items and clothes if you won’t be staying in your home. Watch to learn more about how to build a proper hurricane kit:

  1. Update UCF Alert Contact Information

During severe weather, major emergency updates will be posted on the UCF homepage and distributed through the UCF Alert mass notification system. To ensure you receive these messages, update your contact information on myUCF via the student or employee self-service tab. You can add a parent, spouse, or other secondary contact’s email address, allowing them to also receive updates.

  1. Follow @UCF and @UCFPolice on Social Media

For consistent updates and information before, during and after a hurricane, follow UCF and the UCF Police Department on Twitter  and Facebook. These are helpful resources for the UCF community every day and become official resources for information during a severe weather incident.

For additional information, check out UCF’s Hurricane Guide.