Sunday was the official start of hurricane season, and it's important to prepare before a storm hits.

"It's important for people to understand that you never know when something is going to happen," Pharr EMS Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Danny Ramirez said.

Ramirez says now is the time to start putting together an emergency preparedness kit. Items to include are a first aid kit, important documents and extra medications if you take any.

It's also the perfect time to start stocking up on non-perishable items in case the power goes out. 

"So non-perishable foods that are in a can last a long time. You might not be able to warm it up, but it's good food you can eat. You should also have a gallon of water per person per day," Ramirez said.

Having a portable radio handy is also a good idea.

If a storm approaches, Ramirez says to take any evacuation notices seriously.

In Pharr, residents will get an alert on their phone similar to an Amber Alert, if they need to leave a certain area.

"It's going to take over your phone to alert you, hey we are evacuating this area, and we have the ability to put a poligram a map over the area specifically where we are evacuating so not everyone gets that notification," Ramirez said.