JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Though things are quiet right now in the tropics, the height of hurricane season is still more than a month away in September.
The Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center wants to make sure those in the hearing-impaired community are ready in case a storm approaches.
Chandra Manning with Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center says depending on the type of hearing aides you have make sure you have extra batteries packed in your hurricane kit and those batteries are the correct size.
Also, if your hearing aides are electric, make sure you have a charger and charging block in case you lose electricity.
With the heavy rain that comes with hurricanes, hearing aides could get wet in the process of evacuating so Manning says people need to have a way to dry them. She suggested a drying jar, many can be bought on Amazon.
Importantly, have a clear plan ahead of time with family members about where you plan on going in the event of an evacuation or emergency.
"This is where I know I am going, if that is not available, I am going here. So that if there is any communication that is lost or mixed up during a storm, they already have a route they are following. I am going to check here, I am going to check there," Manning explained," They should already have a plan laid out now."
She also suggests getting a weather radio with visual cues and downloading a weather app, like the First Coast News app, so a person can get alerts directly to their phone.