Hurricane Dorian: Links, tips and information as the storm approaches

As Hurricane Dorian moves toward a likely landfall in the United States, people in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas should be aware of the latest reports on the storm and should be finalizing any preparations they may need to protect life and property.

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Below are some links to sources of information that offer help as the tropical system approaches.

Airline travel: To check on the status of an airport, click here. To check on the status of your flight, call the specific airline you are booked on. The same goes for cruises, as some cruises are being diverted.

Where to get gas: Should you evacuate from the storm, you can check gas availability by clicking on GasBuddy. You can find locations for gas stations and whether they are open.

Hot spots: If you are looking for a hot spot to link your Wi-Fi to, you can find a map of Xfinity Wi-Fi hot spots by clicking here.

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Traffic issues: For traffic slowdowns or wrecks, road closures and other real-time traffic issues, go to Waze to get real-time information.

Evacuation routes: If you intend to evacuate ahead of a hurricane, do you know the best way to get out of your area? Use the links below to get evacuation route information for your county and state.

Alabama 
Florida 
Georgia 
North Carolina 
South Carolina

Pets: Here is a link to a list of hotels that accept pets.

Here is a link to pet-friendly emergency shelters. Use this link to an Emergency Route Planner to find hotels and shelters that accept pets along the route you enter.

The American Humane Society offers tips on preparing your pet for hurricanes on its website.

Here is a basic pet emergency kit checklist:  Preparing Makes Sense for Pet Owners-Emergency Preparedness Pet Kit List

>> Hurricane safety: 15 tips that could save your life during a storm

Go-bag: Here is a video that shows you what to put into a "go-bag," a bag with some basic supplies that you can grab quickly and go as bad weather approaches.

Financial and other important records: Here is a checklist to help get your financial records in order before a storm. It tells you what you need to find, record and take with you.

Make an inventory of your belongings: Click here for tips on creating a home inventory to help with any possible insurance claims after a storm.

Emergency supply list: The Red Cross offers this checklist for creating a stash of emergency supplies for during and after a storm.

National Hurricane Center advisories: The National Hurricane Center issues full advisories of named storms at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. In addition, the NHC issues intermediate advisories every three hours when coastal watches or warnings are in effect.

FEMA help: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has an app that offers real-time alerts, emergency safety tips and a way to find open emergency shelters in your area. Get the app here.

Local alerts: Many communities have text or email alerting systems for emergency notifications. To find out which alerts are available in your area, search the Internet using your town, city, or county name and the word "alerts." Jacksonville, Florida's, alert link is here.

More alerts: The American Red Cross Emergency app combines more than 35 types of severe weather and emergency alerts. You can choose the alerts that are important to you. The "Family Safe" feature allows you to notify loved ones that an alert has been issued in their area and check to see if they are safe. You can download the app to your mobile device or smartphone free on iTunes (Apple-iOS 6.0 or later) and Google Play (Android). Get it here.

If you need information about weather, public alerts, shelters, forecasts and more, you can also go to Google.org's crisis maps.

State and country emergency management agencies: Here are links to state emergency management agencies. Within those state agency websites, are links to county emergency management sites:

Cox Media Group