As Hurricane Dorian bears down on Florida, it’s a good time to remind everyone about hurricane safety.

It’s too soon to tell what kind of effects Dorian will have outside of Florida, as there has been a lot of uncertainty about this storm so far. But suffice to say that Virginia may see some effects. One of the most important things you can do to prepare for a hurricane is to get flood insurance. Unfortunately, if you don’t already have it and Dorian comes here, it won’t do you any good for this storm; most policies take 30 days to take effect.

But it will help you for the next storm. Flood insurance is not covered by most homeowners’ policies and must be purchased separately.

According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, nearly 25 percent of flood claims nationwide occur in areas that were considered low- to moderate-risk. According to GetFloodFluent.org, if it rains at your house, it can flood at your house. And if you live near a river, stream, creek or even drainage ditch, not to mention the ocean, then your chances of a flood are even higher.

But having flood insurance isn’t all there is to it, and there are still some things you can do before Dorian — or the next storm that rolls around.

Know your zone. Areas vulnerable to storm surge and other forms of flooding that frequently occur with hurricanes are separated into four zones. You can learn your zone by putting your physical address into the Know Your Zone tool at www.vaemergency.gov. These zones can be used for evacuations, so it is important to know what zone you are in.

Become familiar with your evacuation route and shelter locations. Make a plan for where you would go if evacuation is needed and how you would keep in touch with family members if the regular lines of communication are down.

Keep important documents in a safe place or create password-protected digital copies.

Gather needed supplies for at least three days, including water, food and medication. Don’t forget your pets.

We’ll continue to hope and pray that Dorian goes away. But if the storm does come, we hope all of our readers are ready.