Live Smart Daily | A Smart Take on Daily Life

Hurricane season (usually lasting from June 1 through November 30) can be a nerve racking time for everyone. Not only for those whose homes are in the path of one, but for families and relatives alike who may worry about those people. Preparedness is not just necessary, but having a plan will help you and your loved ones keep their peace of mind during this stressful time.

• Keep a Hurricane Preparedness Kit packed (see “Things You’ll Need”). This assures that you will lessen the amount of things you’ll have to do when the time comes. Also, items such as batteries are easier to find when everyone else isn’t panicking. (Hint: Keeping batteries in the freezer does not increase their life by any significant amount, and batteries should be room temperature when used.) As a bonus, if any other event, such as a fire occurs, you’ll be prepared for that as well.
• Purchase and use Self Powered Radios and Self Powered Flashlights. These do not use batteries, and the newer models will also keep your cell phone charged. The Eton model of the Self Powered radio has the Weatherband/Emergency band, a red/amber LED that flashes as a warning, two WHITE LEDs that is also a built-in flashlight, a warning siren.
• Create a “take box”. The take box should have everything you need to reconstruct your life in the event you evacuate and everything is lost. Passports; birth, wedding, adoption, divorce, and armed service separation certificates; copies of insurance policies; mortgage information; house and car title; large purchase receipts. You get the idea. If you have a scanner, save yourself space and heartbreak by scanning family albums and images of other keepsakes, burn those to CD and keep a copy in your take box. Even better than a CD, make a copy of all your pictures, videos, music and documents on a external hard drive, that you can keep in your take box.
• Discuss and practice a disaster plan with your family. One of the most important lessons from hurricane Katrina to make sure everyone in the family knows who to contact (and how to contact them) as an out of area contact. Make sure kids know enough information so that an adult can get in touch with that person should sudden evacuation be necessary when you aren’t near them. Practice this, and make other back up plans. This can be as involved as you like, but keep in mind the ages and temperaments of individuals to assure everything runs smoothly in the event you have to evacuate immediately. See Tips below for examples on how to do a run-through.
• Keep in touch with friends and family that are out of the potential disaster area, and make arrangements to stay with them, in case you have to evacuate.
• Have an arborist remove dead trees and dead tree limbs and evaluate the health of any trees near enough to fall on your (or your neighbor’s) house.
• Ensure that insurance matters are kept up to date. Note: most regular home insurance does not include flood coverage in the policy, so you’ll have to buy this separately.
• Try not to purchase insurance during hurricane season, you may find that you have problems renewing or finding a better policy when few to no insurance companies are writing policies. Citizen’s is always the last resort – and most expensive – because they are required to carry your policy.
• Store food and water where you are going to be in the hurricane and keep it in a cool place so you can eat it when the hurricane approaches where you are.
• Battery operated flashlights are fine if the power is out for a short time. The new LED flashlights work well, as long as a spotlight isn’t needed. Target and other stores have good ones in the $10 range that drop into a pocket and run on AA and AAA cells. They’re great for personal lights, and the batteries last five to ten times as long as with regular incandescent flashlights. Additionally, LED conversion bulbs are available on the Internet for more popular brands of flashlights.
• After a couple of days you will need candles for light. Buy big decorative candles that will burn for days. Keep lanterns/candles in frequently used locations, such as the bathroom counter, next to the door, and on your bedroom nightstand. IF there are gas leaks, explosive chemicals in your area, do NOT use candles, if you do, watch them to prevent fire, especially if children are with you.
• “Self Powered Lights” and “Self Powered Radios”. This equipment is either solar powered, and/or has a “crank up” generator built into the light and the radio. Find the lights at the local Wal*Mart, the radios at the local Radio Shack and/or the Internet. This will SAVE you $$$$ on batteries, IF you can find any, since they’ll be sold out WEEKS before a storm hits you. Some of these models will also charge cell phones.
• Glow sticks. found in the Wal*Mart and sporting goods dealers. Safer than candles, in case there are gas leaks, explosive,flammable chemicals in your area.
• Solar powered garden lights. You can charge them up in the sun by day and use them indoors for lighting at night.
• Battery-operated radio
• Canned goods and can opener, fruits and vegetables and other foods that do not require refrigeration.
• Water (at least one gallon daily per person with a seven-day supply). You can also fill up bathtubs if you close or seal the drains.
• Bleach. In the event that water enters your home, you will need to get it out and then kill any microbes that remain.
• Take highly-valued items with you or, for those items staying in the home, wrap in plastic or place in plastic bags. Even if you are riding out the storm, consider placing photos, insurance papers and other important papers in sealed bags.
• Corded phone. Even if your electricity is out, your telephone may still work. Cordless phones still require electricity, so plug in a corded phone, and you may be surprised.
• Cell phone and extra charged batteries. Some of the “Self Powered Radios” and “Self Powered Flashlights” allow you to keep your cell phone charged. IF the cell phone towers are damaged, destroyed, cell phones will be no good.
• A DC to AC inverter.
• Pre-moistened towelettes.
• Battery-powered fans will be very appreciated if the power is out.
• Lots of batteries of all sizes (you can always use later what is not used during the storm). Consider buying a car battery to power battery operated devices in the home.
• Make sure each person has their own flashlight and battery supply, in case you have to separate.
• A good supply of all prescription drugs.
• A first-aid kit.
• Optional but helpful is one pair of wading pants for each member of the family, or at least the adults of the household. If you live in an area prone to flooding, you do not want to be walking around with your skin exposed to contaminated water if there is a need, after the storm, to walk from the home.
• Plenty of self powered flashlights. This type of light needs NO batteries, which will be unavailable if a hurricane hits and destroys your area, batteries are sold out in your area. Candles are okay too as long as you follow some basic safety rules such as attending to them at all times. DO NOT use if there is gas in your area, you even suspect gas in the area.
• Plenty of Glow/Light sticks. These are GREAT to use IF you detect gas, even suspect gas. See Wikipedia’s article:Glow Stick for more info on these things.
• Plenty of large plastic garbage bags to dispose of human waste and other garbage.
• Supply of Toilet Paper, and other toiletries as needed.
• At least one 5-gallon bucket and cat litter (the bio-degradable kind) for toilet use.
• A pocket knife for cutting things.

  Resources:

• NOAA.gov – National Weather Service’s hurricane preparedness website
• Hurricane Research Division FAQ
• About tornadoes and hurricanes
• www.ready.gov
• Hurricane Safety