Today is the beginning of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hurricane Preparedness Week, a time designated to prepare for a potential land-falling storm. The Weather Channel predicts seven hurricanes in the 2016 season. Here are five ways to prepare for weather, which New Jersey residents are, unfortunately, all too familiar with.

Develop an evacuation plan: If you live in a storm surge hurricane evacuation zone, or if you are in a home that would be unsafe during a hurricane, figure out where you would go and how you would get there if told to evacuate. Not sure? Check out http://1.usa.gov/1S9IKAR.

Have an insurance checkup: Call your insurance company or agent in order to make sure you have enough homeowners insurance to repair or even replace your home. Do not forget coverage for your car and boat. Remember, standard homeowners’ insurance does not typically cover flooding. Check out http://bit.ly/1FsBiOh for more info.

Assemble your disaster supplies: You may need more than eggs and bread to not just get through the storm, but for the potentially lengthy and unpleasant aftermath. Have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person in your family for at least a week. Get advice at http://1.usa.gov/1qJW1cD.

Strengthen your home: Make sure your home is in good repair and up to local hurricane building code specifications. Remember, the garage door is the most vulnerable part of the home. It must be able to withstand high winds. You can get more storm mitigation information at http://1.usa.gov/1p1lvRo.

And, most people forget this one…

Know where your home’s water shut off valve is located: A lot of people were flooded twice during Hurricane Sandy. Once by the storm surge, and then again by their home plumbing breaking. This resulted in water flowing in the home, even after the storm had abated. These people evacuated without turning off their home’s shut off valve. It’s usually located close to where your service line comes into your home. Put a tag on it, available at http://bit.ly/1cRWHVe and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If you have to evacuate, make sure it’s turned off.

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. For more information, visit www.NJamwater.com or https://www.facebook.com/njamwater