Last week I checked the National Hurricane Center site to see if there was any activity out there (and found zero); yesterday my guy showed me this on 8/10. The concerning area is the orange circle, which is in a position to come our way. So I thought I'd write up a post reminding everyone in the strike zone to be prepared.
This is from 8-11, which shows much the situation changed in one day. We went from orange to red. It ended up to be nothing, but I did not take it lightly. This is why you prepare before the storm hits, so when it does you don't suffer more than you have to. My guy went out last week and hooked up my nephew's generator at his new house for the same reasons -- now we don't have to worry about him.
So, what exactly do you need to do to prepare? There are tons of resources on the NHC's website, and what you want to do while you're preparing is to track the storm. Weather services start fear-mongering as soon as any storm approaches, so I just monitor the progress of the storm myself. NOAA provides blank charts for that here you can print out.
Some other advice:
Water is your most critical resource; make sure you have one gallon per person for as many days as you expect to be cut off from power and civilization. Because we're way out in the country and on a well, and we've been cut off for weeks after storms, I will fill fifty one-gallon jugs for me and my guy (we have a gas generator that can run our well pump if needed.) Also, to flush your toilets you'll need water, so fill all your bathtubs or some 5-gallon buckets and put them in the bathrooms.
Freeze water bottles or jugs and put them in your fridge and freezer just before the storm hits. I use big jugs for the freezer and water bottles for the fridge. That will help keep cold your perishable food for a couple of days without power. Plan to use it up as soon as you can after the storm. Water swells when frozen so remember to leave some head space in your bottles and jugs.
Non-perishable foods are essential after a storm, and not just peanut butter, tuna and bread. Buy some single-portion cereal packs or granola bars. Fruits that don't spoil fast like apples or pears are also good to have on hand. Coffee drinkers, instant coffee and dried creamer will be your best friends after a storm. Think about what you'd like to eat on a camping trip that you can fix on a grill or over an fire pit, because those are probably going to be your only cooking options until power is restored. We survived for weeks in 2004 cooking on our gas grill, and that was because we stored extra propane for it.
Without power, cell service or internet you will be cut off from the latest news, so invest in a battery-operated radio. During and after Hurricane Irma that was our only source of news for nine days.
Invest in emergency lighting. Candles are okay, but battery operated lights are better. We use strings of battery powered Christmas lights at night around the house when the power goes.
You should have on hand enough medication(s) to last at least a week or more. Invest in a first aid kit if you don't have one because everyone gets banged up clearing away the storm debris.
Finally, expect and prepare for the worst, but don't stay if you are risking your life in a mobile home or unsafe house. Yes, your possessions are important, but they are just things. Nothing you own is worth you and your family's lives. So evacuate, go to a shelter or ask to stay with a friend with a better place. That is probably the most important thing you can do before the storm hits.
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