I won’t sugarcoat this – a MAJOR hurricane is expected to make landfall this week on the East Coast of the US. I’m in the direct path myself (Raleigh, NC) and I cannot stress enough that you need to be preparing NOW. If you’re in the storm’s possible path and haven’t started planning yet, you are behind. You can expect long lines and supply outages if you aren’t getting prepared.
At this point, prioritize getting supplies over filling out your paperwork. Stores can run out of the stuff you need, so stock up o supplies early and then get your paperwork together closer to the storm’s arrival.
Water
- Water is one of the first things to get sold out at stores. Go sooner rather than later.
- Do you have an icemaker? Put it to work. Sure, some of it will melt before the storm arrives, but that’s not bad. Melted ice is water – safe water to drink. Put the ice in sealable bags, and you’re increasing your fresh water supply.
- Fill pitchers, water bottles, etc. We’ve got one of this 5 gallon water coolers like sports teams use to throw Gatorade all over their coaches. That will full. Get creative with what you can use to store fresh water.
- Fill your bathtubs. You’ll need water to flush toilets.
- Want to drink stuff other than water? Don’t forget sports drinks and juices. You can get individual bottles, cans, juice boxes, etc.
Food
- Individual containers of applesauce, fruit, etc. are great because you don’t have to worry about leftovers that can spoil.
- Bake stuff before the storm hits like muffins, brownies, quick breads, etc. that you can eat for meals or snacks. If you don’t lose power, you can freeze the muffins and quick breads to use later.
Medicine
- Have your prescriptions filled.
- Get over-the-counter headache relief, anti-diarrhea medicine, and allergy medicines (mold is common after storms and can trigger allergies).
Supplies
- Manual can opener, jar opener, and bottle opener are necessary. Those stupid water bottle caps may be too tiny to pry off with your hands.
- Disposable cutlery is needed if you don’t have water to wash dishes.
- Fill each car’s gas tank sooner rather than later. Stations can run out of gas, and the lines will get longer the closer to the expected landfall.
- Have money on hand. ATM’s and credit card machines won’t work if the power’s out.
- Batteries. Make sure you have batteries. Then get yourself more.
- Fill your propane tank or get a second one if you plan to use a grill.
- Tarps are important if the roof gets damaged to minimize the water that comes in the house.
Equipment
- Generators run out quickly, so don’t wait if you want one. And if you get one, make sure you know how to use it SAFELY, People have died of carbon monoxide poisoning because they brought generators inside or otherwise ignore instructions for safe use.
- Can your chainsaw cut through big trees? Don’t bring plastic silverware to a knife fight.
- Have an emergency radio to stay informed. Some also include ports to charge your cell phone.
Your Behavior
- If there are red flags on your beach, DO NOT GO INTO THE WATER! You are risking your life as well as the lifeguards (if they’re even there). And don’t play the I’m-a-good-swimmer card. I know a triathlete who swam during a red flag day and almost died when he hit something in the water. If his daughters hadn’t been there to hold his head above water, he would have drowned.
- If there’s a mandatory evacuation, GET OUT OF THERE! Again, it’s not just your life at risk, it’s the lives of rescue personnel.
- The longer you wait to evacuate, the more likely you’ll be stuck in horrible traffic. You don’t want to be on the road when the storm hits.
- DON’T COUNT ON 911. When storms are at their worst, rescue personnel will not be able to help you.
- Schedule bill payments online before the storm hits. That will be one less thing to worry about if you lose power.
I’ll post more tips on disabilities, pets, information, and kits in my next post…coming very soon. Now that I have my supplies in hand, I can spend my time spreading the word. Stay safe, folks.
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