St. Johns County deputy director lists what to pack now for hurricane season

Kelly Wilson, Deputy Director of the Emergency Operations Center for St. Johns County, told listeners on the County Conversations podcast that households should prepare evacuation plans and storm kits well before a storm approaches. "What we need to do is do those the plans and kits now because being prepared now can make all the difference in the world," she said, listing planning questions residents should answer: will you evacuate, where will you go, who will go with you and what special needs exist.

Wilson gave concrete kit recommendations: seven days of nonperishable food and water for households that shelter in place, two weeks' worth of medication, and a folder of critical documents. She emphasized practical choices — "make sure it's food that you eat" — and advised storing items in a single plastic tub for quick departure. She also advised packing charging cables, small chargers, batteries, a radio and flashlight, and keeping a small amount of cash because electronic payment systems may be unavailable after outages.

Wilson encouraged residents to photograph insurance policies, vehicle titles, marriage certificates and medication lists and save them to a phone or cloud account so records survive even if hard copies are lost. For more details the county's guide is available online at jcemergencymanagement.com.