Hurricane Season Communications

Updated: 7/30/20

Strategy
Key • The best way to protect yourself and your family from a hurricane is to be prepared.
Messaging • Stay informed: Pay attention to UC Alerts and information from the state.
• Stay safe
• We are here to help you: UC CARES has resources you can find at
unioncountync.gov/UCCARES.
9Channels • UC Update
• Facebook/Twitter
• UCTV
• Digital Signs
• Website
• Printed handouts
• Brochures
• Newspaper or Radio Ads (with grant money if available)
Comms • Keep message consistent and clear
Strategy • As often as possible, point to website or where more information is available
• Translate for Spanish Audiences when necessary
Season Communications
June THEME: Are you prepared?
• Notify residents that hurricane season has begun
• Sign up for UC Alerts
• Find out your zone at KnowYourZone.nc.gov
July THEME: Are you prepared?
• Build an emergency kit
• Make an emergency plan for you and your family
• Check out Union County’s flood zone maps
• Visit “Numbers to Know” webpage
August THEME: Are you prepared?
• Sign up for UC Alerts
• Check out Ready NC’s emergency preparedness plan template
• Update your homeowners insurance and flooding policy
• Take pictures of your house to save and send to your insurance agency in the future
September THEME: Are you prepared?
• Shelter information
• Emergency preparedness for people with functional needs
• Make an emergency plan for you and your family
October THEME: Are you prepared?
• Sign up for UC Alerts
• Visit KnowYourZone.nc.gov
• Visit the “Numbers to Know” webpage
November THEME: Are you prepared?
• Hurricane season is almost over
• Ready NC’s emergency preparedness plan template
Event Communications
Before THEME: Be prepared
• Sign up for UC Alerts
• State of emergency information
• Information about water shut offs
 • Do you have homeowners insurance? Policy for flooding?
• Build an emergency kit
• Evaluate or make a plan for you, your family, and your pets
During THEME: Stay informed
• Sign up for UC Alerts
• Website: Update homepage with information on the hurricane/road flooding
• Gas stations still offering fuel & grocery stores will offering water/food
• Information about power outages
• Communicate mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders
• Information about shelters in/near Union County
After THEME: Be cautious
• Regular community recovery updates
• UC CARES resources and volunteers needed
• FEMA assistance available
• Storm damage? Contact your insurance agent and report storm damage to UC Emergency
Management
• Clean up resources
• Information about flood safety

Ad Hoc Messaging:

• Notify residents that hurricane season has started

• Sign up for UC Alerts
• Find out if you live in an evacuation zone
• Build an emergency kit
• Make an emergency plan
• Union County flood zone maps
• Visit “Numbers to know” page
• Ready NC’s emergency preparedness plan template
• Update your homeowners insurance and flooding policy
• Take pictures of your house to save and send to insurance agency in the future
• Shelter information
• Emergency preparedness for people with functional needs
• Hurricane season is over

Union County Website Hurricane Resources

Existing Resources

• Build an emergency kit: https://www.unioncountync.gov/download_file/view_inline/7641

• National Weather Service website: https://www.weather.gov/
• Emergency preparedness plan template: https://www.readync.org/
• Build an emergency kit: https://www.unioncountync.gov/download_file/view_inline/7641
• Numbers to Know: http://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/media-public-relations/numbers-to-
know
• Sign up for UC Alerts: https://member.everbridge.net/index/337966681555041#/signup
• Emergency preparedness for people with functional needs:
https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/emergency-services/emergency-
management/resources/emergency-preparedness-people-disabilities
• Union County flood zone maps: https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/gismaps
 • Emergency preparedness
o https://readync.org/EN/Index.html
o https://www.ready.gov/
o http://www.redcross.org/
Resource Suggestions

• Hurricane preparation page

o A page specific to hurricanes either within the Health and Safety webpage or as a separate
tab under Emergency Communications or under Popular Resources
o Would house all the information specific to hurricanes
o Short URL for promotion
• No resources show up when you search “hurricane” or “hurricanes” on the website
o Might be useful to make this key word pull up resources for preparing for a hurricane
o Update metadata
• Comprehensive guide for hurricanes
o A pdf that would include information on hurricane preparation, survival, and recovery
o Example: https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/home/showdocument?id=11832
• A webpage that explains flood safety
o Could redirect to Ready.gov’s page on floods:
https://www.ready.gov/floods#:~:text=IF%20YOU%20ARE%20UNDER%20A,can%20sweep
%20your%20vehicle%20away.
• A place within the Hurricane preparation resources that directs residents to KnowYourZone.nc.gov
o Allows residents to check and see if they live in an evacuation zone in the case of a
hurricane
o There is also a Spanish version of this website: https://www.ncdps.gov/es/conozca-su-zona

Drafted Social Media Posts

Ongoing communication

• Hurricane season has officially begun. Are you prepared? Learn how to build an emergency kit and
a family emergency plan: https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/emergency-
services/emergency-management
• Have you signed up to receive UC Alerts? It’s easy to get real-time notifications in the event of an
emergency or severe weather. Sign-up today:
https://member.everbridge.net/index/337966681555041#/signup
• Are you staying in an evacuation zone? It is important to know your zone so you can plan to
evacuate during a hurricane if necessary. Learn more: https://www.ncdps.gov/our-
organization/emergency-management/emergency-preparedness/know-your-zone
• Be prepared! There are several important phone numbers that may come in handy during an
emergency or severe weather. See the list of important numbers to know:
http://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/media-public-relations/numbers-to-know
• Do you have an emergency plan for you, your family, and your pets? It is important to be prepared
for a hurricane ahead of time. Check out Ready NC’s emergency preparedness plan template:
https://www.readync.org/
• Do you know if your home is in an area prone to flooding? It is hurricane season and it is important
to be prepared for potential flooding. Check out Union County’s flood zone maps to find your area:
https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/gismaps
 • If you or your loved ones have a disability, preparing for an emergency ahead of time is important.
You can find resources to make a plan on this website:
https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/emergency-services/emergency-
management/resources/emergency-preparedness-people-disabilities

Before:

• Are you signed up to receive UC Alerts? With hurricane ___ on the way, UC Alerts will send you
real-time notifications that will help you and your family stay safe. Sign up today:
https://member.everbridge.net/index/337966681555041#/signup
• Do you have an emergency plan for you and your family? It is important to be prepared for
hurricane ___. Evaluate your plan or create a new one. This will help you get started:
https://www.readync.org/
• If there’s an evacuation order for hurricane ___, it’s important to know your zone. Find out:
KnowYourZone.nc.gov
• Keep track of hurricane ___ as it approaches the North Carolina coast. We have a webpage with
everything you need to know to be prepared and keep your family safe:
• Do you know which numbers to call in case of an emergency? With hurricane ___ on the way,
make sure you have this list printed and with your family’s emergency kit:
http://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/media-public-relations/numbers-to-know
During

• Stay safe, Union County. Be on the lookout for UC Alerts for notifications about hurricane ___. For
emergency resources, visit this webpage: https://www.unioncountync.gov/departments/emergency-
services/emergency-management
• State and local officials have issued an evacuation order for hurricane ___. It is important to follow
this order and stay safe. To find out if you are staying in or visiting an evacuation zone, visit this
website: https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/emergency-
preparedness/know-your-zone
After

• If you need resources, we can help! As we recover from hurricane ____, UC Cares has resources
that can help you with food, insurance, or ___. Visit this webpage to learn more:
unioncountync.gov/UCCARES
• We need your help! As we recover from hurricane ___, Union County non-profit organizations are in
need of volunteers. Visit this webpage to learn more about how you can help:
unioncountync.gov/UCCARES
• Did you experience flooding from hurricane ___? You can find information about flood safety on this
website:
https://www.ready.gov/floods#:~:text=IF%20YOU%20ARE%20UNDER%20A,can%20sweep%20yo
ur%20vehicle%20away.
• Do you or your loved ones need help recovering from hurricane ___? FEMA has recovery
resources that can help. Visit this website to find the resources and get assistance today:
https://www.fema.gov/recovery-resources