As Florida residents are bracing for Hurricane Irma's impact, many of them are sharing their evacuation statuses with friends and family online.

Most people are sharing photos and message updates of their evacuation process along with photos of their trip and boarded up homes.

While most people want their loved ones to keep them informed, choosing social media to share the information has the potential to leave them vulnerable to crime.

Experts make a special warning to evacuees about how their use of social media could put them in harm's way during their evacuation....

You may think that your privacy settings on Facebook protect you, but most posts can actually be seen by anyone online.

Your information and photos are not entirely secure - especially if your location services are turned on for the Facebook app.

Sharing status updates that include your current location or your vacant house/neighborhood could potentially leave you vulnerable to thieves and others who are looking to take advantage of the situation.

Experts advise evacuees to update their family and friends via text message or phone call only. Turn off the location services on your Facebook app so that your location cannot be shown in your posts.

If you must use social media to update friends and family, just share that you're safe. Do not include any more details.

If someone asks about how you are doing on your Facebook profile, send your reply to them in a private message.

At a time when so many people are afraid for the well being of their friends and families, it is important to take every precaution - including on social media to protect their safety and yours.

[h/t ABCNews]