Now that hurricane season is upon us, it’s time to check your supplies and make sure that you are prepared before a hurricane is announced. Follow this checklist on what to do to ready your home and what supplies to purchase to ready yourself.
What To Do To Prepare for a Hurricane
- Use the NOAA Weather Radio station to keep up to date on critical information about developing storms
- Clear your property of personal items (furniture, gardening supplies, etc.) and other debris (downed tree branches, loose paving stones, etc.) that might be picked up by strong winds
- Secure all doors and windows to your home; use hurricane shutters or plywood to prevent damage to windows
- Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings; in the event that power is lost, they will keep food colder for longer
- Turn off and bring inside all propane tanks for grills and outdoor heaters
- Fill your car’s gas tank (but do not store loose cans of extra gasoline in the car)
- Clean your bathtub thoroughly and fill it with water; it can be used to flush your toilet in the advent of a water-supply outage
- Purchase flood insurance; regular homeowners insurance does not cover damages from floods, hurricanes, and most other natural disasters
What to Buy to Prepare for a Hurricane
- A three to seven day supply of water, assuming one gallon of water per day per person
- A three to seven day supply of food, particularly easy to prepare, non-perishable foods; remember that you may not have access to a stove or cooking fire
- A strong LED flashlight for each person in the house; these can double as communal area lamps if shone into a bottle of water
- A battery or crank powered radio to receive updates on the storm’s progression; a NOAA Weather Radio is preferable, as the National Weather Station will provide frequent and accurate assessments of the storm’s condition
- Extra batteries for all electronic devices
- First aid kits with extra bandages; lacerations from flying debris are one of the most common minor injuries during a hurricane
- A seven-day supply of any medications being taken by occupants of your household, along with extra applicators if necessary
- A multipurpose tool with a knife, screwdriver, and can opener
- Personal hygiene and toiletry items
- Cell phones with backup batteries and “on the go” chargers
- Extra cash in the advent of prolonged local power loss in the aftermath of the storm
- Emergency blankets in case of heat loss
- Paper maps of the area in case of an evacuation order after power has been lost
- Supplies for babies (extra bottles, formula, baby food, and diapers)
- Supplies for pets (extra collars, leashes, food, carriers, and food bowls)
- Extra clothing geared for cold and rainy weather; without heat temperatures may drop well below your area’s summer average
- A camera for taking photos of the damage to submit to your flood insurance company
Though this is a list of the basic things to do and buy for a hurricane, they are not everything you will need. Take care to plan ahead for what you and other occupants will need to keep yourselves entertained during a protracted hurricane. Consider stocking your home with board games, puzzles, books, and other activities that do not require power. While it may sound like a good idea to stock up on movies to watch on laptops with backup batteries, it is unwise to waste power on entertainment; you may need it if the storm worsens or an emergency situation (like a downed power line) develops. Similarly, using an internet-enabled smartphone to browse the Web is not advised, as cell phone power will become a precious commodity in the event of a serious hurricane, and a necessity in all emergency situations.
Most importantly of all, stay inside during a storm! Only go outside if your current location becomes inhospitable or is at risk of major flooding.