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ALBANY, GA. -- Hurricane Irene may be heading up the east coast but officials say several other storms are following in her trail and people should prepare.

A representative for the Albany Fire Department Emergency Management Agency says people can become complacent in thinking that a storm will bypass their area and end up not being prepared for when one does come.

For safety, he says people should look around their yard for limbs that hang across power lines because if a storm hits, the tree may break and cause a power outage.

The Deputy Director for the Albany EMA says also check to make sure your vehicle is in a safe location along with other outside valuables. It should only take a few minutes.

“Make sure you’re going to be safe. We always ask you to have a safety kit put together so that you can sustain yourself for 72 hours or until power comes back on,” said Albany Fire Department EMA Deputy Director Jim Vaught.

He says to find a reference of how a hurricane disaster plan log on to the city’s website for a go by.