How to Prepare for a Hurricane
We have had a lot of storms around here recently...a lot. In fact it's raining on top of some freshly fallen snow right now! And everytime I tell people I want to move to Florida, they remind me of all the hurricanes they have down there. But we have them up in Jersey now too!! So much so, I've written up a little post about how to prepare for a hurricane.
- As SOON as you hear about a possible storm, hit the store...even if the storm won't be there for a few days. The closer the storm gets, the crazier the stores are and the more they run out of things. You'll want to buy: flashlights, candles, non perishable food. A gallon of water per person per day since you might not have running water. You'll need wood if you have a fireplace, plenty of diapers, wipes, formula, snacks for the kids. Lots and lots of batteries for your flashlights. Skip and I now stock up on those year round.
- Fill up any car you have with a full tank of gas before the storm. TRUST ME, this is big. As I'm sure you've seen on the news, a gas shortage is a HUGE problem in Jersey right now.
- If you have a generator, make sure it starts. Fill it up with gas as well, and fill up any extra gas tanks you have. Get all the wires ready so if the power goes you just have to quickly start it and easily plug everything in. If you don't have a generator, you might want to think of buying one. Try and get one before a storm is on the horizon. They are expensive, but 100% worth every penny. Also, read up on generator safety. So many people have died because they put it in their house. Be safe!
- Bring in EVERYTHING from outside. The only thing that got damaged at our house were the shed and roof. The only two things I couldn't bring inside!
- Make sure you have at least a small emergency kit with band aids, disinfectant, bandages, etc.
- Make sure all medications you have are up to date. If your pharmacy loses power you won't be able to get them for awhile.
- Freeze a gallon of water. If you lose power, but it in the refrigerator. It will help keep everything cold for longer.
- Turn off your desktop computer before the storm starts. A power outage could fry the wires if it was on.
- When the storm is starting, fill up any container you have with tap water. Also fill up any bathtub you have. We've been lucky not to have lost water the past two times, but I know people that have. You'll want to use this water for flushing your toilet, brushing your teeth, etc.
- Don't forget about your pets! Make sure you have enough food on hand for about a week. I keep Shiba in her harness collar, making sure her identification is on her, just in case we have to evacuate quickly.
- Speaking of evacuations. We got an email this year saying if we were in a flood prone area of our town, we might have to be evacuated. I wasn't quite sure if my street counted, so I packed a bag just in case. I brought three days worth of clothes, diapers, toiletries for the girls and I {Skip was going to be working...I'm not heartless!} some extra blankets, my wallet, Emmy's medicine, a few small toys for the girls. I also packed our external hard drive. Not only does it have all our pictures and videos on there, Skip recently scanned all our important papers, marriage certificate, passports, social security cards, etc into the computer and we backed them up there. So I knew we wouldn't lose anything important if it flooded.
- If you have a basement that can flood, make sure to at least get everything off the ground. Easier to do now than if water is rushing in at your feet! Remember that if you do get water in your basement and it reaches your hot water tank, YOU HAVE TO SHUT OFF THE GAS!!! The pilot light will have gone out from the water, but the gas will be still be running. Houses have exploded this way.
- I wanted the girls to still get some sleep last night, but I was worried about all the windows in the house. So I put them in the same room, the room with only one window and it was on the farthest wall from them. I kept them together until we got power back. Made it easier to just go in one room when we had the fire;-)
- I've seen people board up their windows or put tape on them to minimize shattering. This isn't something I've ever done, but if the winds were any stronger than with Sandy I would!
- Have your electric and gas companies numbers, along with your account numbers, handy. You'll want to notify the when the power goes out, and check for updates on power restoration. Also make sure you have the number of a calgary plumber as well.
- Wash all clothes and dishes before the storm. You may lose water, or at least hot water, for a long time.
- Bathe you, your husb, you kids all before the storm hits. Yes I had hot water. No I was not taking a shower in my 55* house. You all want to be freshly showered. You also want to make sure all your hot water tanks calgary stay nice and dry, especially if your basment is prone to flooding.
- Find out where local shelters are going to be. My Internet barely worked the first few days after the storm, and I wouldn't have been able to look that up if needed.
- Charge all electronics fully before the storm. You won't know when you get to charge them again!
- A lot of banks can lose power too, make sure to take out a decent amount of cash before the storm. Most gas stations by us were cash only, as well as a lot of restaurants.
- Get extra blankets, clothes ready. Once that heat goes, it gets cold quickly in your house!!
- Above all, be safe. Don't go out in a storm. Don't get creative when trying to heat your house. And if they tell you to evacuate, DO IT. Don't put our first responders lives in danger because you didn't think the storm would be that bad. Err on the side of caution!
That's all I can think of now. What tips do you have for preparing for a big storm?
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
- As SOON as you hear about a possible storm, hit the store...even if the storm won't be there for a few days. The closer the storm gets, the crazier the stores are and the more they run out of things. You'll want to buy: flashlights, candles, non perishable food. A gallon of water per person per day since you might not have running water. You'll need wood if you have a fireplace, plenty of diapers, wipes, formula, snacks for the kids. Lots and lots of batteries for your flashlights. Skip and I now stock up on those year round.
- Fill up any car you have with a full tank of gas before the storm. TRUST ME, this is big. As I'm sure you've seen on the news, a gas shortage is a HUGE problem in Jersey right now.
- If you have a generator, make sure it starts. Fill it up with gas as well, and fill up any extra gas tanks you have. Get all the wires ready so if the power goes you just have to quickly start it and easily plug everything in. If you don't have a generator, you might want to think of buying one. Try and get one before a storm is on the horizon. They are expensive, but 100% worth every penny. Also, read up on generator safety. So many people have died because they put it in their house. Be safe!
- Bring in EVERYTHING from outside. The only thing that got damaged at our house were the shed and roof. The only two things I couldn't bring inside!
- Make sure you have at least a small emergency kit with band aids, disinfectant, bandages, etc.
- Make sure all medications you have are up to date. If your pharmacy loses power you won't be able to get them for awhile.
- Freeze a gallon of water. If you lose power, but it in the refrigerator. It will help keep everything cold for longer.
- Turn off your desktop computer before the storm starts. A power outage could fry the wires if it was on.
- When the storm is starting, fill up any container you have with tap water. Also fill up any bathtub you have. We've been lucky not to have lost water the past two times, but I know people that have. You'll want to use this water for flushing your toilet, brushing your teeth, etc.
- Don't forget about your pets! Make sure you have enough food on hand for about a week. I keep Shiba in her harness collar, making sure her identification is on her, just in case we have to evacuate quickly.
- Speaking of evacuations. We got an email this year saying if we were in a flood prone area of our town, we might have to be evacuated. I wasn't quite sure if my street counted, so I packed a bag just in case. I brought three days worth of clothes, diapers, toiletries for the girls and I {Skip was going to be working...I'm not heartless!} some extra blankets, my wallet, Emmy's medicine, a few small toys for the girls. I also packed our external hard drive. Not only does it have all our pictures and videos on there, Skip recently scanned all our important papers, marriage certificate, passports, social security cards, etc into the computer and we backed them up there. So I knew we wouldn't lose anything important if it flooded.
- If you have a basement that can flood, make sure to at least get everything off the ground. Easier to do now than if water is rushing in at your feet! Remember that if you do get water in your basement and it reaches your hot water tank, YOU HAVE TO SHUT OFF THE GAS!!! The pilot light will have gone out from the water, but the gas will be still be running. Houses have exploded this way.
- I wanted the girls to still get some sleep last night, but I was worried about all the windows in the house. So I put them in the same room, the room with only one window and it was on the farthest wall from them. I kept them together until we got power back. Made it easier to just go in one room when we had the fire;-)
- I've seen people board up their windows or put tape on them to minimize shattering. This isn't something I've ever done, but if the winds were any stronger than with Sandy I would!
- Have your electric and gas companies numbers, along with your account numbers, handy. You'll want to notify the when the power goes out, and check for updates on power restoration. Also make sure you have the number of a calgary plumber as well.
- Wash all clothes and dishes before the storm. You may lose water, or at least hot water, for a long time.
- Bathe you, your husb, you kids all before the storm hits. Yes I had hot water. No I was not taking a shower in my 55* house. You all want to be freshly showered. You also want to make sure all your hot water tanks calgary stay nice and dry, especially if your basment is prone to flooding.
- Find out where local shelters are going to be. My Internet barely worked the first few days after the storm, and I wouldn't have been able to look that up if needed.
- Charge all electronics fully before the storm. You won't know when you get to charge them again!
- A lot of banks can lose power too, make sure to take out a decent amount of cash before the storm. Most gas stations by us were cash only, as well as a lot of restaurants.
- Get extra blankets, clothes ready. Once that heat goes, it gets cold quickly in your house!!
- Above all, be safe. Don't go out in a storm. Don't get creative when trying to heat your house. And if they tell you to evacuate, DO IT. Don't put our first responders lives in danger because you didn't think the storm would be that bad. Err on the side of caution!
That's all I can think of now. What tips do you have for preparing for a big storm?
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
As someone who is well versed in hurricane preparedness, you pretty much covered everything- except that if you live in the south, I can guarantee you won't be cold the day after a hurricane hits! ;)
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