Hurricane Florence continues to grow in size and strength as it barrels toward the U.S. East Coast.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday the monster storm continues to intensify and will be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday.
A Category 5 storm has the potential to cause catastrophic damage.
North Carolina residents have already been buying up water and emergency supplies. But people should also consider getting their homes ready for the storm.
Ready.gov is one site emergency management officials say has useful tips on getting your home ready for Florence.
According to that website, you should:
RELATED: Big Weather's hurricane emergency kit
NOAA also recommends that you:
Just know that getting together those kits may be a challenge because stores are short on essential items like flashlights and batteries.
You may have to call ahead or visit the store early to see if they have what you need in stock.