As we approach hurricane season once again, I urge you to get your hurricane plan and supplies ready early.

Prepare your hurricane disaster kits and emergency plans now. Get the necessary supplies -- canned food, a flashlight, a battery-operated radio and a phone with a cord. Decide how you will secure your home. Have your hurricane shutters ready to go. If you live in an evacuation zone, plan for where you'll go in case an evacuation is ordered in your area.

Most residents know the drill. New residents need not be alarmed, but you need to prepare. The key to your safety and comfort will be to in how ready you are to take care of yourself and your family, especially in the first 72 hours after a storm, when you will need to be completely self-sufficient.

Miami-Dade County has some useful tools that will help you prepare and can help keep you informed, such as our free Hurricane Guide and Miami-Dade Alerts. Anyone can register for our free Miami-Dade Alerts, a wireless emergency alerting system, to receive, free local weather and hurricane alerts.

No one can predict how many storms will form or where they will strike. Miami-Dade County residents know to prepare for the worst, but to hope for the best. Again, the key is to have a plan and to be prepared.

Sincerely,

Mayor Carlos Alvarez