There are only 16 days left until hurricane season and Bay County emergency officials are busy preparing.

On the surface it looks like a normal day at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center. But what you don't see are the extra efforts each employee is putting out in preparation for hurricane season.

Officials say they have to be more prepared than most other areas of the country because of our risky location. But residents need to do their part, too.

"In Bay County because we're so close to the coast the way that the weather works and we live on the edge of a continent and weather is unstable in this area. So people just need to have that awareness. They need to be cognizant of it all the time," said Mark Bowen, Bay Co. EOC Chief.

Since the hurricane season has been fairly quiet in recent years officials fear people will become lax in their preparations.

We repeatedly hear the need for stocking-up on hurricane supplies, but that's because it's a serious issue. A battery operated weather radio or television should be at the top of the list, and also basic supplies like water, food and medications, even gasoline.

Bowen says Bay County often has a shortage of gasoline when a storm is approaching, so he recommends never letting your vehicle get low on fuel. Otherwise you could end up in a long line, when you're trying to get out of town.

Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, the EOC is staffed to make sure they provide you the service you need.

"When you look at an emergency operations center basically what we do is coordinate so that everything from food and water to first responders being able to get out and do their job flows as it should. Bay Co's been very fortunate in having a good system in place for doing that," said Bowen.

Bay County is also reaching out to help small and medium sized businesses prepare, by offering computer software that gather information on employees, their evacuation zones, and instructions about what to do if the business is destroyed. The software is free, and available at both chambers of commerce.