With weather patterns becoming more extreme and unpredictable, those who live in areas that can be affected by hurricanes should know how to prepare and what to do when a monster storm is about to hit. These massive storms can have a devastating effect on those who live directly in their path, and even for those who live hundreds of miles inland from the coast.
Hurricanes can result in several devastating effects, including:
- Flooding
- Power outages
- Deadly water pollution
- Death from drowning, electrocution, and flying debris
- Thousands of dollars in repairs
- Overwhelming amounts of debt
- Complete loss of your home
- Lacking the basic resources to survive for days and weeks
- Loss of your most cherished possessions and important documents
These reasons should be more than enough of an incentive for you to learn how to prepare for a hurricane. Many of these steps can be taken now, before a threat is imminent. Think of it like installing a fire alarm or having a fire extinguisher on hand, which most homeowners think of as a no-brainer.
How To Start Preparing For Hurricane Season
There are several ways you can prepare for hurricane season now, so that when one hits, you’ll maximize your chances for your safety and survival. We have compiled the following tips that can help you and your family start preparing right now. Most of these tips are simple, cheap, and easy to perform.
Make sure you review these tips with your family, and have a communication plan in case you aren’t together when a hurricane becomes a risk. Knowing what to do in the buildup and during a deadly storm can literally mean the difference between life and death for you and your family.
Whatever you do, don’t wait until the eve of an approaching hurricane to figure out what to do.
10 Tips For Hurricane Preparedness
- Inventory your belongings. Take video footage of your home, documenting all your valuable assets that you may need to replace through insurance claims. This will help you file claims with your insurance company. Having hard evidence of your belongings is the best way to facilitate this process. Keep your videos on a cloud drive so you can access them no matter what happens to your phone or desktop computer.
- Stock up on supplies at home. Non-perishable food, jugs of clean water, and medical supplies should be near the top of your list for getting prepared. If you get stranded at home, you want to make sure you can at least last 3-5 days without needing to go to a store.
- Stay tuned in to alerts. There are many ways you can stay in the loop about an upcoming storm. For starters, sign up for your County’s weather warning system. They will send you text alerts with updates as the storm draws near. Facebook and Twitter are great real-time channels where you can follow your county and state authorities. Of course, keep your TV tuned in to local news outlets that will give 24/7 live updates.
- Pack a bag, and be ready to evacuate quickly. On the other hand, if you have to leave immediately, have an evacuation bag packed for each person in your family. Remember, you can’t pack like you’re going on a 14-day vacation. Go with the basics, which include good shoes, socks, a few changes of clothes, light toiletries, cell phone chargers, and some snacks.
- Make backups of important documents and hard drives. Make paper copies of birth certificates, insurance cards, and other hard to replace personal information. These are often an inconvenience to replace. Having copies can also help make things easier if your originals get lost. Keep these in as envelope that you can pack in your evacuation bag.
- Protect your home from damage. If you live in an area where storm damage is likely to have an impact on your home, be sure to learn how to cover your windows, tie down gas tanks, have backflow plugs or valves installed in your home to eliminate or minimize potential flooding. Many people procrastinate this step, and then run into a shortage of materials at the local hardware store when the need is dire.
- Know evacuation routes, and keep your car full of gas. Communities that bear the risk of hurricanes already have evacuation plans and routes in place. Learn these routes before you need to. And if you aren’t familiar with those roads, take the family on a brief road trip to get a feel for where you’ll need to go. This can also be a great opportunity to discuss the importance of hurricane safety with your family.
- Have safe a destination in mind. If you have friends or family that live within driving distance outside the path of the typical hurricane in your city, they can be your destination in the event of a storm. You may want to add a few air mattresses to your list of goods to purchase in preparation. When the weather experts begin assessing the threat of an approaching storm, go ahead and put these in the trunk of your car. That way, they’ll be ready to go in the event of an evacuation.
- Charge your cell phone. This is especially important when hurricanes are close to arriving and power outages are at high risk. Keep all your portable electronics charged during the threat of a storm. Tablets can be a great way to have a backup way to make calls or communicate if your phone runs out of charge. So keep all your communication devices charged and ready if you need them.
- Know what to do upon return. The dangers of hurricanes don’t end, even after the storm has passed. There are serious risks to people who are returning. For instance, do not wade in deep water, where there could be open manholes that you could slip into. Water can also be contaminated, and floating debris can also cause bodily harm. The threat of electrocution is also high when water causes natural disasters.
The Number One Key To Surviving Hurricanes
Planning for every phase of a hurricane, from how to prepare, how to evacuate, and how to return, will maximize your chances of survival. If you follow these tips, you can greatly increase your chances of staying safe, protecting your home, and re-building your life in the aftermath.
Review Resources Dedicated To Hurricane And Disaster Awareness
While this list is a good overview of the steps you can take, be sure to do more research, explore government information, and discuss with your insurance company what kind of coverage you have and what else you can do to protect your assets.
Need Hurricane Damage Consultation From Experienced Professionals?
If you currently need expert advice about hurricane or storm damage, please reach out to us for help. We are experts in storm and hurricane damage mitigation, as well as water, fire, storm and hurricane cleanup and restoration.
We hope you prepare for the best in the event of a hurricane, to avoid dealing with the worst effects and devastation these storms can cause. If you have any questions, please reach out to us today.