It’s still fresh on our minds, the horrible damage that Hurricane Harvey recently caused Texas. Loss of lives, homes and businesses. Now here in Florida we see the aftermath images and it is frightening as Irma maybe projected to hit here. No one knows for sure yet, it’s too early. So what can we do? First pray, pray, pray. Second is to be prepared.
I am a native Floridian which means I have see the damage a hurricane can do. When my oldest son was a baby (12 years ago) we thankfully escaped hurricane Ernesto. We really did not have much damage to our home but we were without power for a week. All of our meat in our freezer had to be cooked quickly on the grill or it would have to be tossed out, since there was no power I had to set water outside in the sun for the day so it would warm up in order to give my baby a bath so he would not be bathing in cold water. I would take all of these things in a heartbeat over harm to my family or loss of our home.
So how can you prepare? First there are certain supplies you will need. If power goes out like it did for my family for a week you want to be prepared.
– LED lantern or flashlights. LED tends to last longer than a standard bulb would.
– Batteries
– Tarps just in case you do have roof damage.
– Water. At least one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation.
– Food at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Things like canned foods, cereals, bread, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats, etc. Do not forget your can opener for the canned foods.
– A battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert.
– A fully stocked first aid kit.
– Generator. We purchased a generator when hurricane Ernesto came close in 2006. If you have the room to store a generator I advise you to do so. You can hook your refrigerators up to them as well as lightening for night time. An extension cord would also be useful. *I would not recommend running it all the time due to gas flumes.
– If power goes out you want to make sure you have a gas can filled with gas for either your generator or for your car. Gas stations may also me without power so getting gas after the fact maybe a challenge.
– Food and water for pets.
-If you have a baby remember extra diapers, baby wipes and formula if you bottle feed.
-Disposable supplies such as paper cups, plastic utensils and plastic cups. Garbage bags and plastic bags just in case you have water damage.
-Cash or traveler’s checks. If power goes out ATM’s and credit card machines will not work.
Here in Florida water and supplies are flying off the shelves so it’s best to be prepared sooner than later. If you wait till the last minute stores may not get any shipments in time before the storm. Since hurricane season starts in June and lasts until November it’s best to have your supplies at the beginning of the season so you have no worries of fighting crowds getting supplies or stores being out of supplies.
Lastly, have a plan. If your home floods or has storm damage where will you go? Remember roads maybe flooded, tree’s may be down blocking them so be prepared to have a back up plan from your plan.
Have you been through a hurricane? If so what tips can you offer?
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I am going to share this with a friend of mine that just moved down to Miami area and is really scared! Thank you for this post I know it will help her a lot!
This is excellent information for anyone who lives on or near the coast. Hurricanes are no joke, and even if you live several miles inland, it can still wreck your property with the rain and winds.
We felt some of the effects of Sandy in 2012, but we’re far inland to have felt the main brunt of it. It’s always a good idea to plan for any type of major storm activity, and these are all great tips!
Hearing all this news about the hurricane has made me want to get more prepared in case of a natural disaster! Such great ideas! I need to stock up on batteries!
It’s great that you’re sharing your knowledge having been through a hurricane yourself.This is definitely something to prepare for.
We don’t get hurricanes here but we there is always a chance of tornadoes. It is a good idea to always be prepared year round. I will have to double check our supply.
My heart goes out to people in Texas for what just happened with Harvey and you & all my friends down in FL right now. I will keep you in my thoughts.
We get hurricanes here up the east coast too and they sure are scary! I pray that you all can stay safe and out of harm’s way!
Great post. It’s so scary hearing about these hurricanes. I hope that everyone is going to be okay during this.
So much uncertainty but sounds like you sort of know what to expect and have a great list should you need to prepare again.
I’ve got a lot of friends and family in Florida that I’ll share this with! I’m praying it turns before reaching Florida, but in the case it doesn’t, prays will be for everyone in it’s path.
These are great tips for preparing for a hurricane. We bought a generator last year and it has come in handy a few times.
With the upcoming, second, hurricane this is a timely reminder. I’m in Earthquake valley- but I have family that this definitely applies to!
This is such a great list! I will be comparing this to what I have in our home and getting ready for Hurriane Irma thisi weekend! I hope everyone stays safe and really takes these tips to heart!
This is very helpful. Great timing.
These are great tips, I am so shaken and scared of natural disasters like this. So great of you to share tips to help those that need it, which could be anyone at some point.
Great tips for those in hurricane prone areas. I’m thankful I don’t live in a hurricane area but I’m praying for all of those that do.
I’m hoping that all the talk about Irma is just precaution. But as it gets closer, my hopes seem to be in vain. It’s great to know what to do to prepare.
it’s very important to be prepared during hurricaine season. this way you don’t have have to panic
i have a few friends in both areas right now and i can’t imagine how scary it is.