Hurricane Preparedness with the Schipul team

Schipul's Number One Value is: Safety First!

Whether we're talking about the security of your data online or the physical safety of you and our Community, our company focus on Safety and Security is always utmost in our minds.

Our team is headquartered in Houston, Texas which is deep in the heart of hurricane country of the Gulf Of Mexico. We train our team to prepare themselves, their families and our company as a whole to be ready for whatever may come. And we pass along this culture of preparedness to you and your website!

Is your Web site powered by our Tendenci software? Be sure to brush up on some of the amazing Emergency Response First Responder features that you can start using to communicate with your site members today!

Here are some sites and resources to help you, your family and business prepare and make it through this hurricane season and beyond!

Keep in touch with Schipul - we won't keep quiet, even in emergencies!

Here are a few spots to stay connected with the Schipul team during emergencies:

Schipul Blog (http://blog.schipul.com) for helpful safety tips and company updates
Tendenci Blog (http://blog.tendenci.com) for software and server updates
Schipul Twitter account (www.twitter.com/schipul)
Tendenci Twitter account (www.twitter.com/tendenci)

Storm and Weather resources for Houston Hurricane Watch

Current Active Hurricane tracking mashup: www.stormpulse.com
Wind Maps for Sustained winds by zip code: www.houstonhidefromthewind.org/
Houston Office of Emergency Management: www.houstontx.gov/oem/index.html
Evacuation Routes: http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/weather/hurricane_evac.html

Preparedness kits and Packing lists for Emergencies:

Hurricane Preparedness Kit from Schipul - The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

Interactive online tool to help build an emergency kit: This creates a printable shopping list and walks you through the basics of stocking supplies. Place supplies in a large storage box so everything is together and labeled. If needed pull the box into the safest room in your house or loaded in the car if you have to leave quickly.
Online site helping make a plan and review resources: Very thorough, but takes a few minutes to go through the questions. Payoff… you can save and return later and it is very comprehensive to complete your steps to be more prepared. Printable task list for steps needing additional work.
Ready.gov hurricane preparedness documents
Firestorm's Disaster Ready People family emergency planning book: A Schipul and Tendenci client, has published a handy emergency preparedness book. The books offer a monthly activity that will prepare your family for most disasters over a twelve month period.

Protecting Your Home during a Hurricane:

Hurricane clips to keep your windows / home safe: Most local stores (Home Depot) have ½” clips, or you can order ¾” clips from McFeely's too. Use these to easily install plywood to cover window openings without having to drill through bricks or window frames.
Power restoration times for a hurricane by CenterPoint Energy. Guess what, your house is NOT their priority. Hospitals, water treatment plants and emergency services are first to have power restored, then business areas, then residential.

If you have any questions or need additional advice, let us know. The more people are prepared to handle unexpected emergencies, the faster we all can recover and get back to the business of making clients happy!

Here are some resources for you to check out, divided into 'Need Help' and 'Want to Help?':

Need Help after Hurricane Ike?

FEMA - Apply for disaster assistance for you and your family
Houston Red Cross (www.houstonredcross.org) - Find open shelters, food and water in the Houston area
City of Houston - updates on Ike and the city at large
Governor's Emergency Management site - resources for Texas disaster recovery
Houston electricity reports map
Search for gas stations with gas here
Houston SPCA - Get information on animal rescue
Read this great MySanAntonio newspaper article on 'Hurricane Ike' help
State Bar of Texas legal resources

Want to Help those affected by Hurricane Ike?

Houston Red Cross needs your donations! Donate here and grab this 'Donate to Houston Red Cross' badge to put on your blog or Web site!
Catholic Charities - donate to help get more food, water and supplies to Houston-area residents in need
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center - donate blood during the extended hour blood drives to help Hurricane Ike patients
Network for Good - find an organization to donate to and groups that are actively organizing volunteer work
USA Freedom Corps - find volunteer opportunities
Volunteer Houston - Houston focused volunteer site