Residents can get tips about how to prepare for hurricanes and other disasters Wednesday at the St. Peter Street Branch Library.

Emergency officials will be distributing copies of the Iberia Parish/Vermilion Parish Emergency Guide at 1 p.m.

Jim Anderson, director of the Iberia Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the guide was printed in preparation for the 2007 hurricane season, which starts June 1.

Advertisement

“It’s a good thing to pick up because in an emergency, you don’t want to have to start thinking about what you should do,” he said. “You tend to forget the little things.”

The 42-page guide includes an emergency supplies checklist, a hurricane tracking chart, and a directory of important contact numbers.

The guide also covers valuable lessons learned during the 2005 hurricane season, including descriptions of types of insurance people need to consider having, dealing with extended stays in shelters and various types of help available following a natural disaster.

The guide contains links to Web sites where residents can learn more about weather conditions, flooding, generator safety, pet lodging options, home design and construction and a number of other areas of emergency preparedness.

“It’s a pretty comprehensive guide to storms and hurricanes, but it covers every kind of emergency,” Anderson said. “It’s got a lot of good information.”

Twenty-four thousand copies of the guide have been printed. The guide is the result of a partnership between emergency response agencies from the two parishes and AGL Resources.

Anderson said the guide will be available after Wednesday’s event at parish libraries and government offices.