Living in Florida comes with some major perks, and some major bummers – I’m looking at you, hurricanes. I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life and I’ve been through tons of storms. So, I’ve decided to share my best tips for how to prepare for a hurricane incase you’re new to hurricanes or just want to prepare a bit better for the storm. Hurricane Dorian is currently approaching Florida, so I am in the midst of currently preparing for a hurricane. Here’s what we are doing to take make sure we have everything our family needs to withstand the storm.
How to Prepare for a Hurricane – Must Know Info to Safely Get Through the Storm
1. Be sure to gather all important paperwork and family documents in a safe place. Ensuring that they’re in a waterproof container is a great idea too. Things like birth certificates, social security cards, etc. should all be ready accessible.
2. Take photo and video inventory on your cell phone of valuable items in your home (and your home overall – a walk through tour is a great video to have) in case you have to file any insurance claims after the storm. Include serial numbers as well.
3. Be sure to have a stock of the necessities in case of a power outage including: cash, propane for your grill, gas in your car.
4. Have all medications on hand. This is especially important if you’re diabetic to make sure you have enough insulin and supplies to get through a few days without power.
5. Plan for about 3-5 days of food for each member of your family (don’t forget pets). Plan to eat fresh food from your refrigerator first, food from the freezer second, and canned/shelf-stable foods last. If you can prepare meals in advance and have a cooler on hand in case of a power outage this is greatly helpful. Don’t forget the cold brew coffee for when there’s no power and you need your caffeine fix!
6. Have enough drinking water on hand for a few days. You can also freeze water in Ziploc bags to have as ice-packs for your cooler, and ultimately to drink if you need to.
7. Prepare a safe place in your home that does not have windows in case of broken windows or tornadoes during the storm. We have a room under our stairs and a large walk-in pantry that can be used as a windowless shelter room. A windowless bathroom works well, too.
8. Be sure to have a first aid kit on hand with bandages, Neosporin, peroxide, etc.
9. Bring all outdoor furniture, plants, and items inside. These items can become projectiles and fly around during the high-powered winds. The last thing you want is your barbecue grill flying through your window during a storm.
10. Be sure to have flashlights, candles, lighters/matches, power banks for electronics, and weather radios (I have this one with a built in flashlight and phone charger!)
11. If you’re in an area that needs to board up or put shutters up – go for it! We had shutters when we lived in South Florida, and have boarded our home here in Central Florida. We do not plan to board our home for Hurricane Dorian, however.
12. STAY CALM – being prepared is very important. Freaking out is not part of preparing for a hurricane, and it’s better to just stay calm. We cannot control the weather or what will happen. Yes, hurricanes can be scary. But with the right proactive steps they can be uneventful.
Here’s a snapshot of my last minute hurricane supplies and a post I wrote to my personal Facebook page last night:
Hurricane prep – trip #3 ✅
Ok so this is my favorite supplies stash so far.
– Multiple varieties of sparkling water 🥰
– Fall flavored beer (clearly it’s fall 😂)
– cold brew coffee (because no one should have to be around me if the power goes out and I can’t make coffee. I will not be pleasant to be around 🤷🏻♀️)
– Magnolia Magazine – because obviously.
Bring it, Dorian 👊🏼