The American Red Cross recommends that persons in hurricane-prone areas become familiar with what to do during a hurricane watch and plan ahead to reduce the chances of injury or major property damage. A hurricane watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24 to 36 hours.

The Red Cross offers the following lifesaving tips to help people prepare and respond appropriately in the event of a hurricane watch:

• Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
• Check emergency supplies.
• Fuel car.
• Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools, anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
• Secure building by closing and boarding up windows.
• Remove outside antennas.
• Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest setting. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly.

Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 chapters and Blood Services regions dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1.2 million volunteers and 30,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 67,000 disasters, trains almost 12 million people in lifesaving skills and exchanges more than a million emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide.