How and Why You Should Prepare for Hurricane Season

Do you reside in an area that is prone to hurricanes? If you live on the East Coast, namely in the south or if you live along the Gulf Coast, the risk of a hurricane impacting your life can be quite high. If you do live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, are you prepared for them? Unfortunately, not all residents are.

When it comes to hurricanes, it is important to preplan. Unfortunately, many individuals believe that they do not have to do so until a hurricane watch or warning has been issued. Of course, you should take action when a hurricane watch or warning has been issued, but there are also steps that you can take to prepare for a hurricane before hurricane season even starts. Speaking of hurricane season, you will want to be prepared for the unexpected from the beginning of June until the end of November.

As previously stated, it is advised that all residents preplan for hurricane season. One of the best ways to do so is to have a plan in place. You will want to first start by deciding what you need or what you would like to bring with you, should you need to evacuate your home. You will want to create a list of these items, make copies of that list, and store those copies in convenient locations around your home, such as on your refrigerator. Creating of list of what items you will need to gather is important, as many individuals have a difficult time remembering important documents and other items when forced to evacuate from their homes.

Speaking of leaving your home, do you have an evacuation plan in place? You should. An evacuation plan is particularly important if you do not have your own means of transportation. As for where you want to evacuate to, do you have any close friends or family members who live on higher ground or farther inland? If so, would these individuals be willing to temporarily open up their homes to you? If you do not have any friends or family in a safe area, you will likely need to stay at a hotel. For that reason, it may be a good idea to have a little bit of money saved. You will want to be able to afford to stay at a hotel for at least two or three days in the event that a hurricane forces you to evacuate your home.

Although it is difficult to associate anything nice with hurricanes, there is something. That is the warnings that you will receive. Meteorologists are often able to predict where a hurricane is likely to strike and they can do so at least one or two days in advance. This means that you should have a little bit of preparation time. With that in mind, you will not want to wait until the last minute. As soon as hurricane watch or warning is issued for your area, you will want to fill up your car with gasoline and head to your local grocery store. If you plan to board up your home’s windows, be sure to visit your local home improvement store right away. Many residents who wait until the last minute find themselves faced with shortages.

Although all individuals are urged to evacuate during a hurricane, especially when warnings have been posted, many residents are not forced to do so. If you make the decision to stay behind, even against warnings from local officials, it is important that you plan for and prepare for the worst case scenario. You will want to make sure that your home is structurally safe. You will also want to stock up on food and water. Be sure to have a weather radio, working flashlights, and a cell phone with you at all times. Also, be sure that a close friend or family member knows of your decision to stay behind.

The above mentioned steps are just a few of the many that you should take to prepare for a hurricane. As a reminder, there are a number of steps that you can take to prepare for the what ifs even before hurricane season rolls around.