Preparing for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is upon us again and it has been a few years since we have been faced with a major hurricane. The probability is that we will have another major storm this year or in the very near future. Storms like Andrew, Opal, Dennis and Katrina have caused billions of dollars of damage and left many homeless or without basic necessities for prolonged periods of time. Many times a little preparation before a storm strikes will help alleviate some of the burden and problems associated with a hurricane landfall in your area. Here is a list that can help you get started preparing for riding out the storm.

Being raised within 50 miles of the Gulf of Mexico my family and I were faced with several storms growing up and we continue to ride them out almost annually. This far inland the damage is not nearly as catastrophic as that along the coast, but it is enough to leave you without power for several days. Electricity is not something you notice until you don't have it. When it goes out so does the pump that pumps your water, the hot water heater (in most cases), the stove, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, cordless phones, ways to charge cell phones, and the list goes on. The good news is that there are ways to get through this period of time without too much inconvenience.

1. Generator (optional) - If you are without power for an extended period of time you might want to consider buying a generator. This will allow you to keep your food in the refrigerator and freezer cold. If the food in these appliances are left without power for a couple of days it will begin to spoil. Generators are fairly expensive to just keep around the house in case of an emergency so not many people choose this option.

2. Canned food - Canned food keeps for years so it would be a good idea to go ahead and buy extra canned food that you can just have on hand in the case of an emergency. Store shelves tend to get kind of bare when a hurricane or other storm is approaching so having this on hand will make sure that you have these items in the event you experience a prolonged power outage.

3. Water - Water is essential, there is no way to get around it. When a storm hits, many times municipal water supplies are disrupted but not for a significant amount of time. If you use a pump to pump your own water, when the electricity goes out so does your water so you need to plan accordingly. Whether you choose to bottle water or to "catch" water you need to keep an adequate supply for everyone to consume and use for daily activities. Don't forget that toilets flush with water and can use it quickly so try to avoid flushing as much as possible.

4. Phone - The days of the corded phone and the land line phone are limited. Most land line phones are cordless now and when the power goes out they also will not work. Either way it seems that the cell phone is the way to go in an emergency situation. Cell phones have batteries that can last a couple of days, but you will need to recharge it after that. If you have a car charger this can be used to recharge your battery. There are also several chargers that you can wind up and generate power to charge your phone.

5. Radio - During a storm you will need to get reports on the weather that is possibly coming your way so that you can prepare. Keep a battery powered radio handy and also keep a couple extra sets of batteries that will get you through the storm.

6. Ice/Cooler - These items will help keep perishable items fresh and will also provide drinking water when it melts. This will also be a hard item to find before a storm so plan accordingly.

7. Grill - a charcoal or propane grill will let you allow you to have hot meals even when the power goes out. This can also heat water to bathe with. Be sure to pick up an extra propane tank or bag of charcoal so that you will have enough to last through the storm. Also be sure to pick up a lighter or matches so that you can light the grill.

8. Entertainment - Things can get boring when you don't have television or the Internet so you might want to get some crossword puzzles or whatever interests you so that boredom doesn't set in.

This list is not complete and there are probably more things that you will need just remember that without power you lose a lot of conveniences so plan for those issues. Items like bread, ice and canned food will be hard to find when a storm is approaching so either plan around those or get these things early. A storm can be a scary experience, but it can also allow you to spend some quality time with your family without all the annoyances of day to day life. Just think of it as a mandatory camping trip.