Experts say it is not if, but when a hurricane will hit Long Island and on Saturday residents were told how to prepare for it.

Officials with Suffolk County, the Red Cross and the National Weather Service met with residents at Bay Elementary School in Patchogue for a hurricane preparedness seminar. Experts say the South Shore of Long Island is particularly vulnerable if a hurricane comes. Officials told residents to make plans now, which include packing an emergency kit and knowing where to go in the event of an evacuation. They say shelters should be a last resort.

Officials say the county has purchased about 300 new cots and mattresses and 23 generators for shelters. Suffolk has learned from Hurricane Katrina and will also provide pet-friendly shelters for residents.