How To Prepare For A Hurricane
Hurricane season is in full force in Florida and will remain that way until November when hurricane season is considered “officially” over. Residents of the Gulf Coast are currently preparing themselves for the arrival of Hurricane Michael and many areas are under evacuation orders. How to prepare for a hurricane is something that needs to be done prior to the evacuation order, but there is still time to protect yourself, your family and your belongings.
There still may be time to prepare yourself for the arrival of Hurricane Michael, but time is of the essence. For individuals who live in hurricane-prone areas, keep these tips at hand year-round to assure you are always as safe and prepared as you can be.
How To Prepare For A Hurricane
Make a go-bag and disaster kit. A “go-bag” is a bag that you can grab and go if the evacuation order is given. Each person, and pet, in your house should have his or her own go-bag complete with the unique items that individual or pet would need. Your bag should contain, at a minimum:
- Medications
- Bottled water, enough to last for three days
- Clothing
- Cell phone charger
- Toiletries
- Shoes
- Water purification kit
- Foods that don’t require water for preparation
- Foods that don’t require heat or electric for preparation
- Canned foods that don’t require an electric can opener
- Blankets
Fill the bathtubs with water and have a bucket you can use to flush the toilet. Freeze bottled water and make additional ice cubes. If you have a freezer full of food, cook it so you can eat it during a power outage and so it won’t spoil.
Make sure you have fuel for your gas/propane grill. You can cook on the grill if the power goes out.
Fill your car with gas. If you have to evacuate, you don’t want to sit in long lines at a gas station. Chances are the station will run out of fuel before you get to the front of the line. Having your car filled with gas so you can make a quick getaway is always wise.
Have a first aid kit. You should have a first aid kit for the humans and the pets in the household.
Important documents. Locate your insurance cards, your home owners insurance policy and other legal documents you want to keep safe in case you have to evacuate. Put the documents in a waterproof container.
Batteries. Have batteries on hand to power a radio and flashlights. Have flares on hand. Locate a physical map in case cell towers are out and you cannot access your GPS. Invest in a solar powered radio and solar powered cell phone chargers.
Family plan. If you and your family get separated, where will you meet up? How will you communicate? You need to have an evacuation plan before the hurricane strikes.
Evacuation plan. Where will you stay? Do you have pets? Are there local shelters that accept both humans and pets? Do you have friends or relatives with whom you can stay with your pets? Locate hotels or motels that are out of the danger zone that will accept you and your pets.
Secure the home. Board up the windows. Turn off the gas and electric to the home. If you’re going to stay in your home, make certain you have a generator that will power your home during the reconstruction period — “roughing it” grows old very quickly.
Above all, BE SAFE. Listen to weather reports and reports from officials in your area. Evacuate if necessary — it’s better to be safe and lose personal items than to lose a loved one.
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