GULF SHORES — With almost 20 organizations gathered, coastal residents and visitors received information on hurricane preparedness from local services and businesses.

The Hurricane Preparedness Expo, hosted by the City of Gulf Shores on June 4, was open to the public. At this event, organizations set up vendor tables at the Erie H. Meyer Civic Center to share how they help the public before, during and after a hurricane or other threatening weather event.

Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) had a table at this event where they shared details on their Alert Baldwin program. Tom Tyler, director of Baldwin County EMA, said events like the hurricane expo are a great way for city and county partnerships to form before a storm hits the shore.

"A disaster is a lousy place to exchange business cards," Tyler said.

He said the county EMA works with the city's EMA when responding to "anything large" such as a hurricane. He said a response to a tropical weather disaster "is going to take all of us."

The American Red Cross had a table at the event where they handed out hurricane preparedness checklists and booklets on "moving forward after a disaster" and the "clean-up process." The checklist shared what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

For what to do before a hurricane, the checklist recommended making plans for staying safe and staying connected with emergency weather alerts in the event of an evacuation or shelter in place. It also suggested learning first aid and how to "live without power" by having a supply of emergency supplies, such as food, water and month-long supplies of medications, before a hurricane hits.

For what to do during a hurricane, the checklist recommended checking on local authority announcements and evacuate "right away" if told to do so. It also encouraged figuring out how to best protect yourself from high winds and flooding and keeping an emergency kit with you.

After a hurricane, the checklist said to stay safe, stay healthy and take care of yourself. Wait for officials to announce your area as safe before returning and throw out any food that was possibly ruined.

"When in doubt, throw it out," the checklist reads.

At the hurricane expo, businesses with products related to hurricane preparedness told attendees how items like generators and window shutters are beneficial in the event of a hurricane.

Chris Jones with Islander Generator LLC said a customer recently acquired a generator to support a household member on an oxygen tank in the event of a power outage. Daryl Stewart with Coastal Shutters and Maintenance had samples of the different hurricane shutters he regularly builds for beach and coastal properties.

Utility groups like Riviera Utilities and Baldwin EMC were also in attendance and spoke on products available to prevent service outages and what to do when services go out in a storm.

Groups with insurance companies told attendees how to get their homes and roofs certified by Fortified standards, a construction standard with goals of reduced wind and water damage from hurricanes.

As previously reported by GCM, a study recently found Fortified homes showed significantly less damage and required fewer insurance claims compared to homes built with standard construction methods after Hurricane Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores in September 2020. Some insurance groups and Fortified inspector services spoke of this study at the event.

Officials with the City of Gulf Shores Public Works Department spoke on techniques for proper debris removal post-hurricane and what is specifically allowed for pickup by the city.

According to a resolution document handed out at the event, permissible items for pickup include trees and limbs, bagged leaves, bagged grass clippings, bagged pinecones and "densely stacked pine straw" or tree/shrub trimmings. Yard trash piles must not exceed four cubic yards in size.

City officials also shared resources available to pick up at the Public Works Shop for mosquito control including free larvicide tablets for public use. Public Works is located at 160 W. 36th Ave. and is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.