Hurricane Prep 101
Hurricanes are scary and cause chaos in our lives, especially when it comes to protecting our families and our investments.
Some choose to close up their home and head away from the storm’s path, while others choose to stay put and ride it out.
You also need to have a plan B and C on the chance you’re instructed to evacuate or move to a shelter.
No matter your choice, we want you to be prepared.
Here’s a quick guide to help you prepare your family and your home when the next hurricane comes knocking on your door!
Prepare Yourself Now
It’s easy to panic, but the best way to avoid this is to start preparing today!
Build your stock over time so you’re prepared long before a hurricane has set its sights on your area.
When you prepare yourself ahead of time, you reduce the risk of overwhelming yourself, your family, and your wallet, when the time comes.
Preparing ahead of time dramatically decreases your risk of overbuying and adding additional stress on grocery stores that provide for everyone.
Keep in mind that if you buy 10 cases of water from the grocery store in preparation for the coming hurricane when you really only need 2, you’re contributing to the strain on stores to provide resources for a whole community.
That’s not saying you shouldn’t purchase what you need, because you absolutely should, but don’t overbuy.
You can start by purchasing one or two extra cans of beans or a pack of batteries when you hit the store for your routine grocery run.
Below is a list of recommended items to have on hand, should a hurricane come to town.
- Non-perishable food (enough to last 3-5 days)
- Water (enough to last roughly 3-5 days, per person in your family)
- First-aid kit
- Personal hygiene items and sanitation items
- Medicine for everyone in the family for up to one week
- Flashlights (and extra batteries)
- Battery operated radio (again, have extra batteries)
- Waterproof container with cash and important documents
- Manual can opener
- Lighter or matches
- Books, magazines, games for recreation
- Special needs items: pet and/or baby supplies if applicable
- Cooler and ice packs
- Portables chargers for phones if the power is out for an extended period of time
- Pet food, medicine, and supplies for up one week
If you’re facing a category 2 or higher hurricane or if you’ve been instructed to evacuate, it’s a good idea to locate a shelter if the time comes that can meet your family’s needs.
And don’t forget about your four legged family members since only certain shelters accept pets.
On the same note, it’s a good idea to determine a primary and secondary evacuation route in case you do need to leave the area.
Prepare Your Home
Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to start prepping your home!
Your home is an important investment, so it’s only right that you do everything you can to ensure it is protected during a storm.
The extent to which you desire to prep your home is entirely up to you, but we have some recommendations on how to help your home hold its own against the howling winds and rain of a hurricane.
Here’s the recommendations:
- Cover all of your windows, either with hurricane shutters or wood.
- Make sure all trees and shrubs are trimmed prior to hurricane season
- Check and clean rain gutters on a regular basis.
- Sandbag exterior doorways, including garage doors and other thresholds to prevent flooding and washouts.
- Reinforce garage doors with additional sandbags to prevent flooding.
- Bring in all outdoor furniture, garbage cans, decorations, and anything else that is not tied down.
- If winds become strong, stay away from windows and doors and close, secure and brace internal doors.
Your County will provide piles of sand and bags to fill in scattered locations throughout the county.
Get in touch with your local authorities to learn where those locations may pop up.
Keep in mind, it’s a stressful time for everyone in your community when a hurricane is headed your way.
If you have the extra time, lend a helping hand to a neighbor or even stay for an extra few minutes after you fill your sandbags to help fill someone else’s.
Or if you plan to prepare ahead of time, start making your sandbags now and keep them stacked in your backyard for easy access.
Keep Calm and Have a Hurricane Party
We’re only slightly kidding!
After all the preparation has been done, settle in and lock your doors with some friends and/or family and break out the board games.
While it may be inconvenient once the power and internet go out, take advantage of that time and make some fun memories amidst the chaos.
How do you prepare for hurricane season? If you have a few pointers, we’d love to hear about them!
Drop a comment in the box below to tell us about them!
