Hurricanes can be very scary, especially if you're a kid! Hurricanes are scary for adults, too. When your parents find out that a hurricane is coming, they're probably trying to figure out whether to stay at home or leave for a shelter.

You can help them by doing what they tell you to do. But if they ask for your help, you can help them decide whether to stay in your house or leave for someplace safe.

If your yard usually floods, your parents will probably tell you that you need to evacuate. That means you will be leaving your house and going somewhere else. Even if your yard doesn't normally flood, your parents may tell you that you need to go to a shelter. Listen to them.

You'll need to have a DISASTER SUPPLY KIT. You can make one up now, just to be prepared. Ask your parents to help. Click on this link to get a list of what you need to put together, provided by the National Hurricane Center.

If you have a pet, you won't be able to bring it to the shelter. But you want to be sure that it is safe. If your parents tell you that a hurricane is coming, and you might have to leave home, see if you can bring your pet to a friend's or family member's house, one who WON'T be evacuating.

If you live in a place that is on a hill or that doesn't flood often, you may not need to leave. But hurricanes are full of WIND and RAIN. So if you stay home, you'll have to do some things to protect yourself.

Your parents will probably bring the whole family into a room that doesn't have any windows or mirrors. Why? Because there is so much wind, a window could break, or a tree could crash through a window. Think about the rooms in your house that have NO windows or mirrors. Closets count.

Sometimes a tree will fall through a window or through the roof. Make sure you stay with your family, and crouch down as low as you can on the floor.

Here are some do's and don'ts if you stay:

DO listen to your parents and do what they say. They're there to protect you.

DO cover your head if you need to or scrunch down in a corner.

DON'T hide under the bed. If something falls through the roof, you could get hurt if it falls on the bed.

DON'T go outside, no matter how much fun the water looks. Going outside by yourself can be VERY dangerous!

If your house is OK to live in, you may not have electricity. Your telephone may not be working, either. You may not be able to flush the toilet or take a bath for a while. Use your DISASTER SUPPLY KIT until you can use all of the stuff in your house again.