Preparing For A Hurricane

Probably the only good thing about hurricanes is that they never really sneak up on you; there is generally plenty of warning before the storm makes landfall.  It was not always thus, of course, and in earlier times, these dangerous storms must just have fallen on those hapless enough to live where they occur.  Now, due to advances in the science of meteorology, we have plenty of warning before a hurricane strikes.

Do Not Wait Until The Last Minute

All of us are familiar with pictures on television or the internet showing stores that have had their shelves stripped by frantic shoppers just before a hurricane strikes.
Usually, this occurs a day or two before the storm hits.  The odd thing is that most people will have had a week or more of warning about the storm, but do nothing until it is almost too late.  Whether they believe that the hurricane will change direction, or are just exhibiting the human tendency  to put things off for as long as possible, a good many of these late shoppers will wind up disappointed and without adequate supplies to see them through the storm.

Hopefully, You Have Already Prepared

If you have given some thought ahead of time to the possibility of a hurricane causing disruptions, you hopefully will not be one of those people fighting over bottled water at the local convenience store.  Your supply of bottled water should already be in a safe spot in your home, and you should have enough to supply everyone for a week of water, at a minimum.  It would also be wise to have a water filter on hand, in case you use up your bottled water. 

Besides water, you should have emergency food supplies stored in your home as well.  These can be canned food from your grocery or that you have put up yourself, or dehydrated kits.  Both ways are good to make sure that your family will be able to eat until the damage from the hurricane allows a return to normal conditions.

A Few Other Helpful Items

While supplies of food and water will definitely see you through the emergency, you might want to add some things to your emergency supplies to make life a bit more pleasant while you wait for life to return to normal.  Emergency lighting will certainly be appreciated by the entire family – there is little worse than sitting around in the dark.  You will also want to have an emergency heat source available, since nights can be chilly even in the summer.  It would also be advisable to have several flashlights in the home, too.

Extra blankets, or emergency blankets can help make the emergency more livable, and if you have some sleeping bags on hand, everyone will be more comfortable while they sleep.

Sometimes, it can take days or even weeks before electricity is restored after a hurricane.  The hours can really drag unless you have provided some means by which the family can distract themselves.  A deck or two of cards can go a long way to keeping everyone happy, and if you have a few board games, it will definitely be to the good.