OKEECHOBEE – The Lake Okeechobee News asked readers to share their hurricane season advice for newcomers.

• “September is the worst month for storms. Been here 40+ years. Make sure you have enough food water and meds for at least 2 weeks per person, battery powered fans and radios. A generator is a MUST! Check your homeowner’s insurance. Batten down the hatches and hang on! It’s SHOW TIME!” – Clarissa Hendry

• “Don’t act crazy. Don’t drive crazy. Just get from A to B. Get a supply of water, flashlights and whatever else is needed.” – Deidra Bailey

• “Have a plan of action. Remember once sustained winds exceed 35 to 50mph, no one’s coming. If you are evacuating, secure your home, take video/pictures of the interior (to include the specific make/models of items)and exterior of your home/property. Secure your important documents in plastic, waterproof storage. Take insurance/birth certificates with u along with up to 30 days of prescription meds. Make arrangements in advance for pets. If you chose to stay, be prepared for up to two weeks without power. Also, when securing your home, secure all lose items that could become flying missiles. 150 to 200 mph winds can move pretty much anything.” – D.N. Haff

• “Trim your trees now before it is too late.” – Haley Shockley

• “Leave now!” – Wade Sullivan

• “Get out!” Juanita Garcia

• “Don’t drive on flooded roads,” – Jerry Edwards

• “Don’t buy all the water!” – Ann Dersa

• “The real hurricanes don’t hit until August.” – Josie Snow

• “Anyone keeping up with the news knows we can’t count on help from FEMA. So make sure your homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance is up to date as the feds are not going to bail you out. Due to cuts in the National Weather Service, we may also have less warning time when a storm approaches. Be ready to take care of your family and help your neighbors.” – S. Smith

• “If it’s coming, grab beer and run like hell!” – Jim Van Horn

• “I am an emergency management planner for Collier EM. Know what the hazards are that Hurricanes bring: tornadoes, storm surge, high winds and flooding. Make an emergency plan, and a communication plan. Put together an emergency kit with key supplies and food etc. Don’t forget pets, the elderly and babies in your household. If you have someone in your home who is oxygen dependent or electric dependent, or who may have special medical needs register for the special needs shelter in your county. When the officials tell you it’s time to evacuate know where you are going and give yourself plenty of time to get there. Remember most evacuations will be from the storm surge zones, but will also be for mobile homes, RV’s and areas prone to flooding.” Amy Mayer Howard

• “Be over prepared. If you evacuate, turn off your main power at the pole. Clean out the refrigerator of things that could spoil and leave the doors open. I lost my mobile home in Irma, and these things helped a lot. I also took photos of every angle of my house for insurance purposes.” – Mary M. Pres

• “Pray.” – Ann Williams

• “Put your trust in God Almighty, and if you live in a mobile home, LEAVE!” – Evelyn Blake

• “Get off the barrier islands.” – Jessie Williams

• “Move back home.” – Jill Campbell

• “Stock up on water, non perishable foods, batteries and get a generator and gas. If one hits and it’s bad, Florida is out for weeks trying to get back on track.” – Heather Stapleford

• “If told to evacuate – hit the road!” – Tim Wharton

• “Here’s a trick to find out if your freezer lost power long enough for the food to spoil. Fill a paper or plastic cup half full of water. Put it in the freezer. After the water has frozen, place a coin on top of the frozen water. If the power goes out long enough for the water to thaw before power comes back on, that coin will no longer be on the top. If that happens, the food in the freezer may not be safe to eat. It may have thawed but then refrozen when the power came back on. If the coin is no longer at the top, don’t take any chances. Throw the food out.” – M. Jones

• “If you have a fish tank, when the power goes out, the aerator pump won’t work. The fish could die from the low oxygen level in the water if the power is out a long time. You can get a battery-powered aerator, the kind anglers use in the live wells on their boats, at most stores that sell fishing supplies. Tropical fish are very expensive. A battery-powered aerator is good to have on hand.” – Anonymous