An unwelcome guest: How are you preparing for Hurricane Irene?

The key word for today is: Today. 

We won’t know until after she’s gone whether we over-prepared or under-prepared. The prediction for the weekend? She will hit us hard with wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. 

Get. Your. Home. Ready. Today.

The City of Alexandria provides useful storm updates at Alexandria.gov/storm, Twitter, Facebook and also by subscribing to its eNews service.

Hurricane Irene is expected to hit our area with heavy rains and gusty winds as early as Saturday evening. 

If your power goes out, call Dominion Virginia Power at 888-667-4357. If a power outage occurs, avoid using candles because they are a fire hazard.

• The intersection of King and Lee Streets in Old Town
• George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mount Vernon Ave.
• Cora Kelly School for Math, Science, and Technology, 3600 Commonwealth Ave.

Stock up in advance for three days:

• Food that doesn’t require refrigeration
• One gallon of water per person per day

Keep emergency supplies handy:

• Flashlights
• Portable, battery-operated radio with extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Non-electric can opener
• Essential medications
• Cash and credit cards

Additional Safety Measures

Residents should bring in garbage cans, lawn furniture, and other items that could be blown by high winds or become dangerous projectiles. Pets should also be brought inside for their safety.

The City is encouraging residents and business owners to take steps to prevent flooding and sewer backups:

• Clear eaves, drains and sewer openings to prevent clogging
• Check gutters and downspouts; clearing debris from them if necessary
• Inspect sump pumps to ensure they are working properly
• Move furniture and other items from basements to upper floors if located in areas of the City subject to sanitary sewer backups

For more emergency preparedness tips, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Hurricane and www.ReadyVirginia.gov.

The City is monitoring weather conditions and is preparing to open its Emergency Operations Center over the weekend.

We didn't invite Irene over. Let's prepare anyway. And help each other out!