Hurricane Preparedness Tips
Be Prepared during Hurricane Season
Hurricane Kit
- Flashlights, extra batteries and bulbs
- Portable, battery-operated radio
- Fully charged battery-operated lanterns
- Do not get candles and kerosene lan-terns (they are a fire hazard)
- Clock (wind-up or battery-operated)
- Plastic garbage bags
- Working fire extinguisher
- Scissors
- Clean change of clothes, rain gear, sturdy swamp boots
- Sleeping bags and extra blankets/pillows
House Checklist
Gather all supplies early
- Store or secure all loose patio items.
- Fill gas tanks of cars and park cars in a safe area.
- Remove all valuables from floor (furniture, area rugs, etc).
- Place important documents in a waterproof con-tainer.
- Get extra cash (ATMs may lose power).
- Fully-charged cell phone with chargers
- Make sure your renters insurance is up to date
Food and Water
Have at least a three-day supply on hand.
- Bottled water-Estimate on a gallon of drinking water per day per person.
- Canned milk and juices
- Prepared foods (canned soups, spaghetti, tuna, chicken, ham, corned beef hash, fruit cocktail, puddings, canned fruits and vegetables)
- Snacks (crackers, cookies, hard candy, nuts)
- High energy foods, including peanut butter, jelly, granola bars, trail mix
- Food for infants, the elderly or people on special diets
- Can opener (non-electric)
Medical Needs
- Medical-alert tags
- Insect repellent sprays
- Feminine hygiene items
- Sunscreen
- Soap
- First-aid kit and first-aid handbook
- Two-week supply of prescrip-tion medications
- Extra over-the-counter medica-tions (aspirin, allergies, cough syrup)
Pet Essentials
- Carriers, crates, leashes, shot records, food, litter, blankets, and I.D. tags for your pets
- Make sure your pet is up to date with all shots
- Attach the address/phone num-ber of your evacuation site to your pet's crate
Family Planning
Have a family meeting and discuss the following:
- What to do about power outages
- How to deal with personal injuries
- What to do if you have to evacuate
- Where to meet and whom to contact if you get separated
- Have emergency telephone numbers posted by the telephones in your apartment
- Teach children how and when to call 911 for help
- Learn basic first aid and CPR.