Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Hurricane Season

Image via WikipediaWith Hurricane Season well under way, there are a few things that you need to know to make sure that you and your family are well prepared.

1.  Have a PLAN- Anyone living in an area that is subject to Hurricane or Tropical Storms should have an evacuation plan and a disaster checklist.  You should have emergency telephone numbers, insurance information, and weather radios nearby at all times.  Make sure that you not only have a plan, but that everyone in your family is aware of it.  It would be a great idea to have 1 person designated as an out of state contact, that everyone can get in touch with if need be. 

2.  Prepare a Disaster Kit that can be thrown in the car at a moments notice.  This kit should include all family documents, pet documents, medication, sanitizing liquid, water, flashlights, batteries, toys and books for children, pet care items, tools, non-perishable food, and water. 

3.  Have a Place to go to get out of danger- If you live in low lying areas, mobile homes, or beachside properties you may want to start researching hotels now so that when a hurricane is predicted for your area you can call immediately and make a reservation so that you can get your family out of harms way.  I remember when I first moved to Florida, I was working at a country club and a huge hurricane was predicted to hit Florida.  I overreacted and just took off with no destination in mind and finally ended up somewhere in Alabama because all of the hotels in the middle of the state were booked up by the time I tried to make a reservation.  That is NOT what you should do.  First of all, if you are prepared there is no reason to panic or overreact.  If your plan is to stay with a friend or family member who lives in a more secure structure, contact them and let them know what is going on and they may be expecting visitors. 

4. Secure your home-If a storm is headed your way, it may be time to start boarding up your windows.  For a more long term solution, it may be a good idea to look at hurricane shutters or roof straps to properly protect your home.

5. Have a plan for your pets-If your hurricane plan involves going to a hotel, make sure that the hotel that you are going to accepts pets.  I think many hotels relax their pet rules when it comes time for hurricane season, but it's important to be thoughtful of other guests.  Don't leave your pets in your room unattended because dogs who are afraid tend to bark and can disturb other guests.  Our hotel does allow pets during hurricanes, however there is a One Time Cleaning fee of $50.00 for the first night and then a charge of $10.00 for each additional night. 


For more detailed information, please check out the National Hurricane Center website. 


# Follow @hiexorangecity

What's Happening West Volusia Weekend 7-31

Not a lot happening this weekend, but something really cool happening tomorrow is the Meet The Mustangs Clinic.  In preparation for his participation in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Murfreesburo, Tennessee this coming October, renowned horse trainer Ronnie Ford will be offering a series of educational clinics at his facility in DeLand.  

Learn about adopting, training and "gentling" these beautiful creatures!

Sponsors Needed

Friends of Blue Springs is looking for sponsors for our annual Paddle Battle. Anyone interested in sponsoring this great event, please contact me at the hotel 386-917-0004 or my cell 386-898-1736. If you wish to contact me via email, feel free. My email is denashops@yahoo.com. 

 Be one of our key sponsors for the event by donating $200 or more (cash or equivalent).  Key sponsors will have their company logo printed on the back of our event t-shirt!  Anyone who helps support our event will have their logo printed on a large paper banner displayed at the event (the larger the donation, the larger your logo will be). Significant donors ($1000 or more) will have their logo on the vinyl banner displayed in the month before the event at the park entrance.

 

 

 

Last Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis

Earlier this week I did a post on my personal blog about the last launch of the Shuttle Atlantis. It was a busy couple of days at the hotel as we had a large of number of guests in the hotel that were there for the launch viewing. We even had people come as far away as the West Coast. Unfortunately, I was stuck working on a marketing plan so I didn't make it down there for the launch or even get to see it on TV until later in the day. The launches always gave me such a patriotic feeling and I'm definitely going to miss them. However, even though the Shuttle Program has come to an end, we are still only an hour away from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and it's still a great place to bring the kids. Not only is it educational and informative, but it's lots of FUN.

Manatee Messenger

Check out the Manatee Messenger, which is a monthly update about the life of Volusia, a manatee living along the St. Johns River. It's a cute story to follow along with and it's always nice to know a little more about our adorable manatees.

We still have a few rooms left for Coke Zero 400

We are getting close to sold out, but we do still have a few rooms left for Coke Zero 400 weekend. AAA/AARP rates are $135.00+tax. Call us at 386-917-0004 to reserve your room.