Do's and don'ts for storm safety

BEFORE

DO leave your home if ordered to evacuate -- and leave early. High tides, strong winds and heavy rain may cause flooding by Saturday night and make roads impassable.

DO stock an emergency kit with supplies to last at least through Monday.

DO arrange for separate accommodations for your pets. Many evacuation centers for people do not permit pets. DO make sure you have proof of your pets' vaccinations. Many shelters require such proof before admitting animals.

DO make sure your family's vehicle has enough fuel to evacuate.

DO pack the vehicle with emergency supplies.

DO move your vehicle to high ground if you live in a coastal flooding area.

DO photograph your property in case you need photos for insurance claims.

DO remove all boats that can be removed by trailer. Consider removing even larger boats from the water and storing them on high ground.

DO have extra cash on hand in case power to ATMs is lost.

DO centralize ID cards, such as a driver's license, and seal them in a plastic bag or other safe, dry place. Keep them with you. DON'T bother trying to obtain flood insurance: most policies have a monthlong window before coverage kicks in.

DO make sure you have access to the manual-release cord of your garage door opener in case of a power outage.

DURING THE STORM

DO stay inside, away from windows and glass doors.

DON'T touch circuit breakers if flooding has started.

DO use battery-powered lanterns and flashlights but DON'T use candles during a hurricane.

AFTER THE STORM

DON'T eat or save food that has defrosted during a power outage. Defrosted food spoils quickly. And DON'T refreeze anything that's already defrosted.

DON'T drink tap water unless you're sure it's safe from contamination.

DO disinfect or boil water. To disinfect: Use 2 drops unscented household liquid bleach per quart of water; mix and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Or boil 2 to 5 minutes.

DON'T drive through streets flooded with salt water. If your vehicle is exposed to salt water, rinse it off as soon as possible because salt water corrodes and destroys vehicles.

DO avoid driving until authorities declare the roadways safe.

DO be wary of loose or dangling power lines, which can cause fatal injuries.

DON'T approach wandering or agitated animals; they could be dangerous.

DON'T tape windows or remove air conditioners from windows.

EVACUATIONS, TRANSPORTATION AND JURY DUTY

Mandatory evacuations in Nassau have been announced for the following areas:

South of Sunrise Highway from the Queens line to Rockville Centre, including the barrier island communities of Atlantic Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, Long Beach and Point Lookout

South of Merrick Road, from Rockville Centre to the Suffolk border.

In Suffolk, evacuations have been announced for parts of the Town of Islip, southern Brookhaven, Babylon and the Village of Lindenhurst.

At noon Saturday, Long Island Rail Road trains will stop operating, as will New York City subways and buses, Metro-North trains and PATH trains.

Airlines have begun canceling flights for Saturday and Sunday. LaGuardia Airport advises travelers to check with the airline for flight status before heading to the airport. Kennedy Airport will close at noon Saturday. At Long Island MacArthur, Southwest Airline's last scheduled flight will be at 11:50 a.m. Saturday. Normal operations won't resume until Monday. USAirways Express expects to operate until 4 p.m. on Saturday, and then resume on Monday. Passengers traveling on these airlines can reschedule without penalty, according to MacArthur's website.

East River bridges -- the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Queensboro -- will close if winds exceed 50 mph; winds over 60 mph will mean the closing of the Verrazano, the RFK Triborough, the Whitestone, the Throgs Neck and Henry Hudson bridges.

In New York City, vehicles will be allowed on streets, and taxis will accept shared rides.

Jury duty across New York City and Long Island will be suspended on Monday.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS, WEBSITES

Long Island

LIPA: 800-490-0075

National Grid: 800-892-2345

Con Ed: 212-243-1900

Nassau

Red Cross of Nassau County: 516-747-3500

Nassau County nonlife threatening emergency hotline: 888-684-4274

Nassau website: www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/oem/hurricane/prepare.html

Suffolk

Red Cross of Suffolk County: 631-924-6700

Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management: 631-852-4900

Suffolk website: www.suffolkcountyny.gov/

New York City

American Red Cross in Greater New York: 1-877-733-2767

New York City Government Information and Services: 311

New York City Office of Emergency Management website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/home/home.shtml

EMERGENCY SHELTERS

Take a pillow, blanket, flashlight & batteries, games for children books, magazines, a change of clothes, toiletries, medicines, bottled water, extra batteries, a folding chair, etc.

Nassau

Nassau Community College

Farmingdale State College

Locust Valley High School

North Shore High School in Glen Head

New Hyde Park High School

Plainview Middle School

Farmingdale High School

SUNY Old Westbury

Westbury High School

Gerald Claps Career and Tech Center in Levittown

Garden City High School

Glen Cove High School

Great Neck North High School

Manhasset High School

Paul Schreiber High School in Port Washington

Mineola High School

Hicksville High School

McKenna Elementary School in Massapequa Park

John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview

South High School in Great Neck

Division Avenue High School in Levittown

Weldon Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale

Wantagh High School (will open at 3 p.m. Saturday)

C.W. Post Campus of LIU (will open at noon Saturday)

Town of North Hempstead Shelter in Port Washington (for residents with pets)

Bideawee of Wantagh (for residents with pets)

Mitchell's Park Field House (will open at noon on Saturday)

Suffolk

Lindenhurst High School (open at 8 a.m. on Saturday as a temporary evacuation center).

Walt Whitman High School, South Huntington (open at 10 a.m. Saturday). If necessary, the Town of Huntington will open the Village Green Center as a staging area for persons who cannot get to Walt Whitman High School.

Robert Frost Middle School, Deer Park (open at 10 a.m. Saturday --

Brentwood Senior High School

Longwood Senior High School

Riverhead High School (open at 10 a.m. Saturday)

Hampton Bays High School (open at 10 a.m. Saturday)

Suffolk County Community College, Eastern Campus, Riverhead (accepts pets)

Hampton Bays Senior Center (for residents who require medical assistance)

Fishers Island School

Oysterponds Elementary School

Greenport High School

Southold High School

Cutchogue East Elementary School

Mattituck High School

SOURCES: TOWN OF OYSTER BAY; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION; NASSAU COUNTY; SUFFOLK COUNTY; TOWN OF HUNTINGTON; TOWN OF RIVERHEAD; TOWN OF BABYLON; TOWN OF SOUTHOLD; TOWN OF SOUTHAMPTON; VILLAGE OF LINDENHURST