Preparing for a hurricane isn’t something anyone wants to do. But if you are going to deal with Hurricane Florence which is fast approaching, Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?   These practical tips are from people who have lived through hurricanes and their tips can help you! They offer at least 25 practical ways to prepare for a hurricane.

Thanks to April Grant for asking this question and allowing me to use some of her friend’s answers! You can find her Facebook page by clicking here!

Preparing for a hurricane

Roodlyne Lyne First thing make sure the house is boarded up. Have enough can and non-perishable food for at least 3 days for each person and enough water. I’m filling my propane tank for the grill just in case. Have batteries, flash lights, portable radio.

Write down emergency phone numbers and families numbers if cell phone die. Have a regular land line phone and not a cordless phone.

Pack up important papers in water proof bag or bin. An extra step I’m doing is backing up my drive in the cloud saving baby pictures and important memories. And pray this thing weakens on impact.

Michelle Hammonds  Use your solar lights from your yard for light if you’re without power. You can get these from big lots for like $2.50. If you can’t find batteries buy these. Oh another tip you can buy MRE’s online at wal-mart and Amazon and they heat up too, so you can eat a hot meal even if you have no power.

Debra Johnson I prepared for Harvey with food and water for 3-5 days, flashlights, entertainment, and prayer. That’s all I did, TBH. In the future, I would *personally* purchase a life jacket (I can swim, but not that well, and a lot of the deaths were due to drowning). I’m selling my house, but if I continued to own a home, I would like a generator, a small kayak or boat, an axe, and a gun. Oh, if you have time scan/make copies of important documents, insurance policies, birth certificates, and passports.

Get a waterproof backpack and rain gear, rain boots, and waterproof pouches and phone cases. Everything you have out in the water will get soaked through and ruined if you have to evacuate while it’s raining. If water gets close to your house, move everything up high and seal it in plastic or waterproof bins.

Gabriella Marigold Lindsay In preparing for the Tropical Storm Lidia, we were told to purchase dry goods that didn’t need to be refrigerated or cooked, to tape our windows from the inside with duct-tape in an X shape, to stock up on fresh drinking water as well as have a bucket of tap water for bathing/washing dishes and to clear all of our drains from debris to allow rain water to flow properly. Luckily the storm spun off and didn’t leave problems but it did hit Cabo and Baja Sur pretty badly. Praying for those in the path of Irma.

Trisc Coulson When the power goes out have a cookout with all your frozen meat, invite the neighbors over and share. They’ll bring adult beverages. Play cards by candlelight. Spend quality time since there’s no power and you don’t want to run down your phones charges on Facebook. Talk. Laugh. Wait. Listen to the radio for updates. If you’re just dealing with wind and power gone it’s doable.

But when they say leave, even voluntarily evacuate: DO IT. Use public assistance to get out of the city. All southern cities now have an Evac plan for those who don’t have cars. I grew up in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I still don’t play around with my life. Things can be replaced, you cannot be.

Fill your bathtub with water. Use it to fill the back of the toilet so you can flush it.

Robina Josiah Freeze everything that can be frozen…so that they stay cold longer; fill bathtub with water for flushing toilets; pack a quick get away /overnight bag with documents in ziplock if you have to leave in a hurry; cover vehicle windows with tape to prevent shattering; bring in empty five gallon buckets and a pushbroom if you have hardwood or tile floors.

Ayanna Martin Stock up on batteries and battery-powered appliances (flashlights, lamps, radio, etc). Also, if you can purchase a generator, that would be helpful, seeing as how you may be without electricity for an undetermined amount of time.

Od Ette Get non-perishable food supplies and water, battery operated radio, flashlight, candles, lanterns, kerosene oil, charge up cell phones, baton down windows, secure roofing, fill your car tank, secure important documents, stock up on essential/prescription medication. That’s what we do in Jamaica.

Linda Lelo Enoh: We keep our passports, marriage and birth certificates in a ziplock (in case it floods/rains) in a drawer. Easy to grab in case of emergencies.

Tetes Lorraine Inije Have a waterproof “Go Bag” with your essential documents…passport, IDs, insurance info etc.

Seema Hirani I have been through two bad ones. Fill a cooler with ice. Mosquito spray. Fill your tubs with water.

Brittany Lishen Galbreath Fill your washing machine as another water source to flush toilets etc. Also if you fill your tub be sure to lock the bathroom door if you have small children its a drown risk.

NJ Rongner Charge all of your external battery chargers for your phone. Put them + a phone charger in a ziplock bag inside your backpack or other emergency bag.

Take photos of every room in your house, every drawer and closet. upload them online somewhere. If you lose it all, you’ll have to tell the insurance company about your contents.

If your family is out of town, make a phone tree now. That way, you’ll only have to call one person to let them know your status. That person is responsible for sending the info down the tree… to the various other people who care about you.

Kathleen Gordon If anyone in the house takes medications, make sure you have a month’s supply in your emergency bag. Now is not the time to have to wean off of antidepressants or run out of insulin, heart meds, or anything else that keeps you alive and/or sane.

Nilya Lareto Do all your laundry now! Could be without power for 2 weeks! Also, but disposable plates, bowls, cups, utensils. No dishwasher either! Put important documents all together. If you have an ice maker, start making ice and put it in your freezer in gallon freezer bags.

Travis Fisher Secure your grill to keep it safe, and make sure you have plenty of fuel. It just might be what you have to cook meals with for a while.

Betsy Cohen Make sure your chocolate martinis are made in advance. Ok, that is after the water, batteries, battery powered tv and such. Also, clean any patio furniture that is coming in the house. The smell is not terribly pleasant once your a/c stops working.

Ericka Hughey I place a cup of water in the freezer once frozen I place a penny on top. If I come back home I know that my fridge was out. Penny will be at the bottom

Erin Moreno Fox EMPTY YOUR DISHWASHER AND PUT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO PRESERVE IN THERE. It’s waterproof and secured to cabinets so it’s more likely to survive a storm.

 

PLEASE STAY SAFE! WOULD YOU ADD ANY TIPS?