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| Funny Hurricane Illustrations |
Living in Florida, it seems like it’s always hurricane season. Living on the Coast is different. All of the Hurricane talk usually goes in one ear and out the other, because we get it! Born and raised Floridians know that there will probably be a week long power outage, roof damage and the kids will be out of school at least one-two days in the fall. Still, refreshing our memory is good. It keeps us on our toes and reminds us to teach our younger one’s what was once instilled in us.
Let’s go over our favorite reminders for this Hurricane
season!
First, having a waterproof container to keep some essentials
is the best way to go. We like the idea of having a closet dedicated to the
preparedness, but stashing items under your bed or in a garage is fine too.
TIP: Building a storm shelter can be expensive, but not as time consuming as you think.
Important things to do now
- Lawn Maintenance-trim back any limbs that are close to your home, look week, or look dead. They can cause a lot more damage when they are slung into a window or your car by strong winds.
- Check into your Home and Auto Insurance, Confirm that policies are valid and coverage is appropriate, think about getting flood insurance if you live closer to water or have seen flooding in strong storms.
- Make arrangements for pets and livestock. Pets may not be allowed into emergency shelters for health and space reasons. Contact your local humane society for information on animal shelters.
- Develop an emergency communication plan. Make sure that all family members know what to do. Teach family members how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water.
TIP: have
a family member or friend from out of the area for each person to call in-case local phone lines are jammed. They will be able to keep a tally on who is okay
and where they are to relay the information back to you.
Before the Storm
- Check emergency supplies, fill coolers with ice
- Fuel car-remember those two hour waits at the only gas station with power?
- Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
- Secure buildings by closing and boarding up windows.
- Remove or secure outside antennas and satellite dishes.
- Power Outages
- Batteries and flash lights/lamps/radio
- Citronella candles and bug repellent-with the Florida heat, we’re bound to open windows and step outside once the air has been off for two hours
- Get two coolers ready (or more) as soon as the outage happens. One for ice and one for food.
- Plastic tarps for roof or window damage
TIP: Storing ice from your ice maker in
clean bags in a spare freezer throughout the season is a great way to ensure
you will be able to keep things cool.
Evacuation
- Put a manual can opener and a pack of eating utensils in the container. Just do it.
- Person Hygiene items: contact solution, essential medicines, toilet paper, hand soap or sanitizer, toothpaste and spare tooth brushes, feminine products-whatever you need, put a small stash in your storage area.
- First Aid Kit
- Blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows
TIP: Using your camping gear is a great resource for traveling and use in your home if you don’t have electricity.
Preparing for Hurricane Season is tedious, but safety is
never an accident. It’s always better to be prepared! Check out some of these
links for more hurricane tips:
