Sign Up With CT Alert ENS Now!

Hurricane Sandy is slated to affect Connecticut as early as Sunday night.

There are a few steps you can take right now to be prepared for a major storm, especially if the power goes out in your area:

• Go to CT Alert ENS and sign up for the alerts in your town.
• Track Emergency Communications in Guilford
• Decide whether you are going to stay or go. In Guilford, town officials are anticipating a voluntary evacuation for parts of Guilford. They may be ordering evacuations at some point tomorrow afternoon. Please heed these. If you live south of the Railroad Tracks in a vulnerable area, figure out where you can go and what you need to take.
• If you're staying, you might be on your own for a while. Figure out what you need to survive on your own for a few days. Some say three days worth of supplies, other say up to a week.
• Get the Patch app on your phone to stay updated with all news, updates and emergency notifications. The free app for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad can be downloaded here.
• Bookmark our Your Guide To Sandy 2012 page, and check back often for updates
• Friend Guilford Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. We'll want to hear from you during the storm, and these are two great ways to communicate with us. Also, you are welcome to send any updates and photos to lauren.lanzon@patch.com.
• Charge all of your electronics.
• Fill your car with gasoline (gas stations may be closed after the storm).
• If you don't have them already, purchase batteries, a battery-operated radio, and flashlights.
• Get extra medications and/or refills for all families members filled now at the pharmacy.
• Stock up on any baby items such as formula and diapers.
• Have plenty of drinking water for all members of the family.  Fill extra containers now from the tap. If you have a well, fill an extra bathtub with water.
• Have sufficient non-perishable food on hand.
• Go now to the ATM or bank and get some cash (banks may be closed after the storms and ATMs may be empty and will not function in power outages).
• Store or take in the garage or basement all outside furniture including chairs, umbrellas, tables, toys, etc.
• If you want to gain a greater understanding of the steps you should take, and the information you are reading about the storm, read this Hurricane Preparedness Guide. It has a PDF you can print out and refer to as you make your preparations.

Not sure if you should evacuate or not? This is what the National Hurricane Center has to say about that:

We cannot overstate the importance of following evacuation orders and other instructions from local officials, regardless of the category or strength of a tropical storm or hurricane. Ignoring evacuation orders risks not only the lives of those who stay behind, but also the lives of first responders who may be called upon to rescue them.

Storm surge and large waves produced by hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property along the coast.

What else? Let us know in the comments if you have any additional thoughts or suggestions on planning for the storm.