As hurricane season begins, everyone in the United States, including F and M students and schools, should have a plan in place for the disasters that could strike. You can use information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and their Ready campaign to prepare.

If you are an F or M student, you can prepare by keeping the following in order to take with you if you need to evacuate your campus:

• Passport (and visa, if applicable);
• Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status";
• Your Social Security card and Form I-766, "Employment Authorization Document," (if applicable);
• Financial records;
• Money;
• Plane tickets (if applicable);
• Contact information for your designated school official (DSO); and
• Contact information for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) including email (sevp@ice.dhs.gov) and phone (703-603-3400).

If you are a DSO, make sure students have your contact information, including your telephone number and email address, in case they need to contact you in the event of an emergency. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact SEVP.

You can also use the Study in the States blog for additional Department of Homeland Security tips and information on what to do in an emergency situation.