Shown above: The Bloomsburg Fair following Hurricane Agnes, June 1972.

Hurricane season starts June 1 and continues into the fall. And while we might think of the warm tropics when we think of hurricanes, experience shows these storms can have a big, destructive impact here in Pennsylvania.

Here are six tips to help you ride out any storm:

1: Prepare an emergency kit. Or, if you made a kit years ago and haven’t checked it since, there’s no better time to update it. Kits should include bottled water; first-aid supplies; non-perishable food, pet supplies, and more. Visit our website for more info.

2: Make medical arrangements. If you rely on powered medical equipment, you should have a battery backup, a generator, or a firm plan of where you’d go for help in case of a sustained power outage.

3: Set your PPL Alerts. In the event of an outage, our alerts will keep you posted on estimated restoration times as they become available. You can get the info by phone, email, text, or any combination. Visit pplelectric.com/alerts to customize your alert preferences.

4. Be aware of the weather. Regularly check weather information so you’re aware of what’s in the forecast.

5. Have flashlights ready. Candles aren’t a great choice during outages because they create a fire risk. We recommend having a few flashlights on hand – and some spare batteries for them.

6. Do it now. This might be the most important tip of all. Take steps to prepare now, while the weather is clear. When a big storm is moving in, you’ll be thankful you did.