Hurricane Irene- How to Be Prepared in New Jersey!

If you live in any part of New Jersey you are probably keeping close watch over Hurricane Irene. Although they are not sure how much rain we will get, or how strong the winds will be exactly, it is a good idea to prepare for possible flooding, and power outages. There are several things that you will want to have in your home. Below are a few things you will want to make sure you have on hand, and things you can do to keep the family entertained. To get additional information on New Jersey preparedness you can click here.


Flashlights, Water and Non-Perishable food
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You will want to make sure that you have plenty of flashlights, with batteries on hand just in case you lose power. You will also want to stock up on water, and food items that do not need to be refrigerated. Make sure that you have at least a five day supply of all necessary items. There are plenty of lists online of the items that you need in case of emergency. You can click here for an easy checklist of the items that you need.

Keep the children entertained

If you have children I have found it to be a lot of fun to plan a living room camp out. You can set up a small tent in the living room and arrange the flashlights around the room. Lay out some sleeping bags, or sheets and you have a great indoor camp site. It helps to keep the evening fun and enjoyable for the kids. During a storm kids often have a hard time sleeping, however if you are all together as a family it will make it easier for them to fall asleep.

Have a backup location in case of flooding

There are many areas in New Jersey which can flood pretty quickly. If you live in an area that even has the slightest possibility of flooding it is a good idea to have a location you can evacuate to. Have some type of emergency evacuation plan in place. If you don't have any relatives homes you can go, to then you can always have a particular hotel in mind. Have a credit card handy to cover these expenses, and make sure that there is an emergency bag packed for each family member. This way if you have to leave in a hurry you don't have to worry about packing items up at the last minute. If you have pets make sure that you can go to a location that is pet friendly so that you can have them with you. There are some pet friendly locations in New Jersey. New Jersey also have emergency shelter locations located throughout the state, which you can find by searching Google, or stay tuned to your local television.

Create a household inventory list

It's important to have a list of the important items in your house. You may need to submit this list to your insurance company if there is major damage. Be sure to check your insurance policy to see what information they would need in order to pay on a claim. It is also a good idea to have receipts for major items and pictures along with your inventory list. I have found it to be a good idea to put all of the documents in a waterproof bag. This way after the storm is over you will easily be able to access your information.

Crank up the fridge before the storm hits

A day or two prior to the storm hitting it is a good idea to set your fridge and freezer to the coldest setting. This is a great way to help your food last longer if you lose power during the storm. Most of your items will probably end up freezing up, and it will take time for it to defrost. Just make sure not to keep opening the doors while the power is out.