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Your home is one of your largest investments, so protecting it from natural disasters is probably one of your top priorities.

This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center expects a "near-normal" hurricane season. That means approximately 10 to 16 named storms, including four to eight hurricanes, one to four of which may be severe, between June 1 and Nov. 30.

"It is very important to note that the seasonal outlook cannot forecast where and when storms will form, let alone if/where they will make landfall and what the impacts would be," said Dennis Feltgen, public affairs officer for NOAA's National Hurricane Center. "It only takes one storm hitting your area to make it a bad year, regardless of the number of storms that are forecast in the seasonal outlook."

To figure out how to best protect homes from damage in a hurricane, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety built a six-story test chamber where experts can simulate the effects of hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other natural disasters on full-scale one- and two-story homes, said President and CEO Julie Rochman.

Rochman and her team have tried different home fortification techniques in the test chamber to see what works, and they've developed a set of building standards called Fortified Home that they're working to implement in hurricane-vulnerable states.

But if you don't have the money to retrofit your home to meet the Fortified Home standards (which could include taking precautions like reroofing your home or installing new windows and glass doors), you can still do many small things to improve the chances of your home making it through a storm.

Remember: Your own safety is more important than protecting your home, so staying behind when others are evacuating is never a good idea.

"If the order comes to evacuate, you evacuate," Rochman said. "You're not going to stay home and hold onto the doorknob and hold the door closed. You want to go having done the things you should have done so there's a good chance when you return that your house is in good shape."

Here are 10 things you can do before the winds start howling and the rain starts pouring down to make sure your home is protected in the event of a hurricane.

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10 ways to prepare your home for hurricane season

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10 ways to prepare your home for hurricane season

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Your home is one of your largest investments, so protecting it from natural disasters is probably one of your top priorities. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center expects a "near-normal" hurricane season.

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WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its National Watch Center in Washington and its Pacific Area Office in Oahu, is continuing to monitor Hurricanes Iselle and Julio in the Pacific Ocean. FEMA is in close contact with emergency management partners in Hawaii.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Iselle is about 900 miles east southeast of Honolulu with sustained winds of 85 MPH, and Hurricane Julio is about 1,650 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, with sustained winds of 75 MPH. Tropical storm conditions are possible on the Big Island of Hawaii on Thursday. These adverse weather conditions may spread to Maui County and Oahu Thursday night or Friday. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Hawaii County, and tropical storm watches are in effect for Maui County and Oahu.

"I urge residents and visitors to follow the direction of state and local officials," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. "Be prepared and stay tuned to local media - weather conditions can change quickly as these storms approach."

When disasters occur, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety and to meet immediate human needs.

Although there have been no requests for federal disaster assistance at this time, FEMA has personnel on the ground who are positioned in the Pacific Area Office year round. An Incident Management Assistance Team has also been deployed to Hawaii to coordinate with state and local officials, should support be requested, or needed.

At all times, FEMA maintains commodities, including millions of liters of water, millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of blankets, strategically located at distribution centers throughout the United States and its territories.
Safety and Preparedness Tips

Residents and visitors in potentially affected areas should be familiar with evacuation routes, have a communications plan, keep a battery-powered radio handy and have a plan for their pets.

Storm surge can be the greatest threat to life and property from a tropical storm or hurricane. It poses a significant threat for drowning and can occur before, during, or after the center of a storm passes through an area. Storm surge can sometimes cut off evacuation routes, so do not delay leaving if an evacuation is ordered for your area.

Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous and almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low lying areas, at bridges and at highway dips. As little as six inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

If you encounter flood waters, remember - turn around, don't drown.

Get to know the terms that are used to identify severe weather and discuss with your family what to do if a watch or warning is issued.

For a Tropical Storm:

A Tropical Storm Watch is issued when tropical cyclone containing winds of at least 39 MPH or higher poses a possible threat, generally within 48 hours.

A Tropical Storm Warning is issued when sustained winds of 39 MPH or higher associated with a tropical cyclone are expected in 36 hours or less.

For Flash Flooding:

A Flash Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flash flooding.

A Flash Flood Warning is issued when flash flooding is imminent or occurring.

A Flash Flood Emergency is issued when severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a flash flood is imminent or ongoing.

More safety tips on hurricanes and tropical storms can be found at www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

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FEMA Urges Preparedness in Hawaii Ahead of Hurricanes Iselle and Julio

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Hawaii Residents and Visitors Urged to Follow Direction of Local Officials WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its National Watch Center in Washington and its Pacific Area Office in Oahu, is continuing to monitor Hurricanes Iselle and Julio in the Pacific Ocean.

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Hawaii Tropical Storm Iselle (DR-4194) | FEMA.gov

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Angela Ogunjimi

Angela Ogunjimi has been a prize-winning writer and editor since 1994. She was a general assignment reporter at two newspapers and a business writer at two magazines. She writes on nutrition, obesity, diabetes and weight control for a project of the National Institutes of Health. Ogunjimi holds a master's degree in sociology from George Washington University and a bachelor's in journalism from New York University.

Water is both the most abundant nutrient on Earth and in the human body. The world has about 333 million cubic miles of water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, and the human body is about 60 percent water. The United States withdraws about 410,000 million gallons, or Mgal, of water per day. That water has a number of uses, including power, irrigation for farming and industrial use, and public consumption.

Video of the Day

Water from the various drinking-water sources, as well as the water content of foods, has important health benefits. About 11 percent of all the water used in America is for personal domestic use, according to the USGS. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, the average American drinks a little more than 4 cups of plain water per day. The average daily amount of total water Americans consume is about 3.18 liters, or 13.4 cups, but 48 percent of that comes from beverages other than plain drinking water and 18 percent from food. Although there's not much difference between racial and ethnic demographics on plain water intake, men drink a bit more water than women, and most Americans drink less water as they age. Young children drink about 1.4 liters of water per day and teens about 2.4. Roughly 30 percent of that intake is from plain water.

The USGS says that about 11 percent of all the water drawn from water sources in the United States goes toward domestic use. This includes plumbing, laundry, sanitation and lawn watering, but also water used in businesses and restaurants. On average, American residences use a collective 25,600 Mgal each day. Estimates about how much water each person uses in the United States range from 200 to 500 liters per day. Water research and contracting firm Raymot Pty Ltd. compiled average water consumption based on various household functions. For example, brushing your teeth with the water running and washing your hands consume 5 liters each and flushing the toilet about 11 liters. A bath is about 120 liters, and a shower consumes about 20 liters per minute. Washing clothes uses about 150 liters per load.

Farming irrigation accounts for about 31 percent of all water use in the United States, with about 128,000 Mgal poured out daily. Almost 75 percent of that is for agriculture in the 17 most arid Western states. Another 2,140 Mgal goes to watering livestock. Industrial water withdrawal for manufacturing uses about 18,200 Mgal per day. The biggest draw on water, 49 percent, goes toward thermoelectric power.

According to the Water Footprint Network, the United States has a "water footprint" of 2,483 cubic meters per person each year. That's about 644,051 gallons each. "Water footprint" refers to the total amount of water that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the nation. The average footprint is 1,243 cubic meters in the rest of the world. Close to 1 billion people worldwide don't have access to enough clean drinking water, according to Charity: Water, a nonprofit seeking to deliver water to developing nations.

Drinking enough water is important for sustaining life, as well as maintaining your metabolism. Considering how much water Americans use, most don't drink enough of it. Public health organizations have a variety of recommendations as to how much water is necessary, but generally speaking, total fluid intake should be around .06 glasses per pound of body weight. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 30 percent of the people who participated in NHANES didn't drink enough water. Research in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" says that after age 3, most children don't get enough water.

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The Average Consumption of Water Per Day

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Water is both the most abundant nutrient on Earth and in the human body. The world has about 333 million cubic miles of water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, and the human body is about 60 percent water. The United States withdraws about 410,000 million gallons, or Mgal, of water per day.

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Everyone needs to be prepared for the unexpected. Your friends and family may not be together when disaster strikes. How will you find each other? Will you know if your children or parents are safe? You may have to evacuate or be confined to your home.

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Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage from storm surge, wind damage, rip currents and flooding. They can happen along any U.S. coast or in any territory in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Storm surge historically is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States.

Prepare for Hurricanes
Know Your Hurricane Risk Make an Emergency Plan Know your Evacuation Zone Recognize Warnings and Alerts Those with Disabilities Review Important Documents Strengthen your Home Get Tech Ready Help your Neighborhood Gather Supplies
Stay Safe During a Hurricane

Returning Home After a Hurricane

Additional Resources
Videos Graphics and Social Media More Information

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Learn how to prepare for a hurricane, stay safe during a hurricane, and what to do when returning home from a hurricane. Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage because of storm surge, wind damage, and flooding. They can happen along any U.S. coast or in any territory in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans.

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Tropical Storm Iselle buffeted Hawaii's Big Island and Maui early Friday, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, downed trees and power outages and sending many tourists packing home as the state braced for a second storm on Sunday that is expected to veer north and spare the islands of the brunt of its power.

Although Iselle was weaker than expected, it virtually shut down the state for a day as residents and hotel operators heeded warnings and prepared for the worst.

All tropical storm warnings were canceled by 8 p.m. Friday, state officials said during a media conference.

Efforts were underway for those who requested aid, officials said.

There were several road and highway closures and reports of damage to homes and buildings from fallen trees and strong winds, according to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency. There are also numerous reports of downed power lines across the island and Hawaii Electric Light has asked residents to conserve power as much as possible until further notice.

Iselle, a former Category 4 hurricane that has been weakening since Monday, moved over Maui on Friday afternoon and doused the Big Island with heavy rain.

Rain and gusty winds were expected in Oahu until the early evening. Oahu is now under a flood advisory after local officials gauged rainfall at 2 inches per hour on the island.

Local meteorologists warned residents to stay vigilant in the event of damaging flash floods and road closures. Residents are being allowed to return home in all areas on the Big Island except Ka'u and Hamakua, where storm conditions are continuing. Shelters will remain open in Laupahoehoe, Honka'a, Ka'u and Pahoa. More than 1,200 people had gone to shelters overnight Thursday.

Residents and tourists were ordered to stay out of the flood and storm water runoff because of the possibility of overflowing cesspools, pollution and other pathogens. "Turbid water runoff has been known to attract sharks due to possible dead animals being washed into the ocean," the state Health Department said in a statement. "This is definitely not the time to be recreating in Hawaiian waters.

When Kara Kahikina, a front desk representative at the Kona Coast Resort in Kailua-Kona, arrived at work at 6:30 a.m. local time, she opened the lobby doors and the power went out.

Luckily, Kahikina said, most of the nearly 500 guests were still sleeping and the electric company was able to fix the problem in just over an hour.

"It's not as bad as we thought it would be," Kahikina said. "If it was still a hurricane, it would've been way different. But we're used to tropical storms."

Because of the expected hurricane, people in town boarded up their stores and taped up windows, which isn't normal tropical storm preparation, according to Kahikina. The hotel has emergency kits prepared at the front desk, including flashlights and cases of waters and has advised all guests to stay indoors for now.

"Seems like everyone listened and hunkered down and we've been able to withstand the main effects of the storm," said Lt. Col. Charles Anthony of the Hawaii National Guard.

Stan Lawrence, who closed and boarded up his surf shop in downtown Hilo on Thursday, rushed back to the store early Friday to check for flooding - stopping at a Starbucks on the way, which was closed.

Lawrence said that aside from heavy rain, the night wasn't too bad, though every so often he heard a loud "vrrr," when a strong 40- to 50-mph wind blew.

There was no flooding or water damage to his shop but he said he doubts he will get a lot of business Friday, noting that nearby stores are still boarded up.

"We lucked out," Lawrence said. "There's some minor flooding around town. It's still raining, and the rain is definitely worse than normal."

Debbie Arita spent all night working emergency operations at a KTA Super Store in Hilo, one of six stores the grocery chain owns on the Big Island.

"We could hear the wind howling through the doors," Arita said. "The light poles in the parking lot were bobbing up and down with all the wind and rain."

Arita said the store is out of water. She said she hopes that the downed trees and power lines blocking roads in Hilo don't keep the vendors from bringing more later this morning.

Because Iselle has so far proved less destructive than expected, Arita said she doesn't expect another "round of panicked shopping" before rains and winds from Hurricane Julio affect the island later in the weekend.

"I doubt people will have used up all the food and supplies they've stocked up on," she said.

The storm was weakening because of several factors, including wind shear chopping at the system and the Big Island's terrain above the water, said Chris Brenchley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

But the winds and rain were strong enough that nearly all flights in and out of the island had been canceled. Public schools, universities, beach parks and national parks in the entire state were closed until the storm passed. All state offices are closed and will reopen Monday.

Bruce Kim, executive director for the state Office of Consumer Protection, announced a price freeze on all commodities and said any reports of price gouging would be investigated and, if substantiated, would be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

Hawaii Tourism Authority President Mike McCarthy said that hotels are prepared to implement their emergency plans and guests are advised to remain at their accommodations.

Atty. Gen. David Louie announced that state elections will proceed Saturday as planned, although some polling places may change. Current weather forecasts do not indicate that voting will be adversely affected, but officials are watching the storm closely.

About 21,000 customers were without power on the Big Island on Friday morning, according to the Hawaii National Guard. Maui County said that due to a power outage at the Olinda Water Treatment plant, around 700 customers were advised to conserve water.

Hurricane Julio, which has been traveling close behind Iselle, has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, sustaining maximum winds of 105 mph. Julio is expected to veer north of the Big Island, bringing rain and strong winds to the island, according to the National Weather Service.

Julio was last reported to be 860 miles east of Hilo and is moving northwest at 16 mph.
Times staff writer Ryan Parker contributed to this report.

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Iselle hits Hawaii: Heavy rain damages homes; roads blocked

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Tropical Storm Iselle buffeted Hawaii's Big Island and Maui early Friday, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, downed trees and power outages and sending many tourists packing home as the state braced for a second storm on Sunday that is expected to veer north and spare the islands of the brunt of its power.

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Lava flows are streams of molten rock that pour or ooze from an erupting vent. Lava is erupted during either nonexplosive activity or explosive lava fountains. Lava flows destroy everything in their path, but most move slowly enough that people can move out of the way.

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The Hawaiian Islands are vulnerable to certain kinds of natural disasters, such as flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis and life-threatening lava flows.

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Lava from a vent has come within a mile of the edge of the Ka'ohe Homesteads subdivision

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi declares an emergency, asks Governor Neil Abercrombie for help

U.S. Geological Survey says the lava could reach a subdivision boundary in less than a week

No evacuations have been ordered, but access to roadways to the community is restricted

Businesses in a small Hawaii town are facing a slow-motion disaster as lava from Kilauea volcano oozes toward roads connecting them to the rest of the Big Island.

Tiffany Edwards Hunt, who owns a surf shop with her husband, said the lava could hit buildings while smoke from fires sparked by the lava cold damage merchandise. If lava crosses the highway leading into town, it could cut the town off.

'There is the threat of his very historic, very quaint, eclectic village becoming a ghost town because of the isolation,' Hunt said after a meeting between merchants and county civil defense authorities.

Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. Scientists issued a warning last week when a lava flow that has been advancing through cracks in the earth for the past few months moved to within a mile of a rural subdivision.

The flow since has slowed, but the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it could reach the northwest edge of Kaohe Homesteads in a day-and-a-half. The county hasn't ordered any evacuations, however.

Officials also are preparing for the possibility that the lava will cross Highway 130, which links Pahoa and the sprawling, mostly rural district of Puna to Hilo. This could happen within weeks.

Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said lava has covered other major Big Island roads in the past, like a state highway in Kalapana and Chain of Craters Road which is partially in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

But he said he's never experienced lava crossing a road so heavily relied on by residents and businesses.

The part of Highway 130 that could be cut off is used by 7,000 to 11,000 vehicles per day, he said.

The county is quickly trying to prepare alternate routes for people to use. But Hunt said these routes are some distance from Pahoa, and would take traffic away from the town and its historic main street.

'There's a lot of fears and anxiety and uncertainty about it all,' she said.

Hunt, who is also running for county council, organized a meeting on Wednesday to help merchants and civil defense officials prepare for the lava's arrival.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Wednesday the lava flow had advanced 460 yards since the previous morning.

The flow emerged from a vent at Kilauea's Puu Oo crater in late June. Since then, it has traveled nearly 9 miles as the crow flies, or just over 10 miles if its twists and turns are accounted for.

The lava is creeping through thick forest, setting alight trees and generating smoke plumes. It is visible only from the air, unlike previous flows that tourists could watch drop into the ocean from coastal viewing areas.

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Residents living in Hawaii prepare to be cut off by Kilauea Volcano

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Lava from a vent has come within a mile of the edge of the Ka'ohe Homesteads subdivision Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi declares an emergency, asks Governor Neil Abercrombie for help U.S.

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How to Be Prepared for Natural Disasters

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The thought of a natural disaster can be frightening, but you can prepare yourself and your family with a few simple steps. Though you may not know what kind of disaster will strike or when, if you take the time to prepare for several...