With hurricanes approaching during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, health experts are calling on individuals to protect themselves from the weather and from potential exposure to the virus if they have to evacuate, gather in a shelter and more. Jane Kelly, an assistant state epidemiologist at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, told USA TODAY that South Carolina officials are concerned about unvaccinated people gathering in shelters during hurricanes, creating "a perfect storm for the rapid spread of the virus." USA TODAY's data reporters are pointing out that Floridians remember Hurricane Andrew, which killed 44 people in the state in 1992. But in the last week alone, Florida has reported over 600 fatalities from COVID-19 — amounting to the same number of deaths as Hurricane Andrew happening 14 times. If you live in the path of a storm, here are some points you should consider to keep your family safe during the pandemic and hurricane season: The CDC encourages people preparing before a hurricane or tropical storm to "give yourself more time than usual" to gather emergency food, water and prescriptions, or have the items delivered. If individuals plan to evacuate and stay with friends or family, the CDC also says they should talk with their hosts "about how you can all best protect yourselves from COVID-19." That includes considering if anyone from either household is at risk of developing a severe case of the virus. If individuals are also in crowded, indoor shelters during storms, they may want to keep a distance from others, wear a mask and wash their hands frequently, health officials recommend.