There are many hurricane preparation lists available on line, in the paper, etc., but I just want to remind you of some basics to prepare for the possibility of days without water or power.
First and foremost, if you are in an evacuation area, please be sure to find a shelter that will accept you — and your pets if you have them– then go there. Your life is more important than your belongings. If you are going to a shelter, let someone know where you are going and be sure to take ID with you.
Put away any loose items outside of your home that can become items of flying destruction. Even if you have to put them on the ground, close to the bottom of your house on the East side for instance, that is better than leaving them laying around.
Have extra water on hand, as well as enough canned food, peanut butter, bread, etc. – as well as any pet food – that you may need for a week or so. Food to cook on the grill is good as long as you know that it didn’t spoil in the freezer. Filling baggies with water and freezing them will help keep your freezer stay cold longer, in the case you lose power. And then you have extra water, too.
If you are on medication, fill your prescription before the storm hits.
Make sure flashlights have good batteries, and if you are using candles, just be careful with them!
You will want to have a full tank of gas, and cash on hand in the case that you do have to leave your home.
There are tons of other things that you can do to be safe, and as I mentioned, you can find those online. Even if you prepare and we don’t get hit hard in our area, it is better to be safe than sorry!
My first hurricane here was in 1985. I had a hurricane party and invited friends that were in flood zones, or hadn’t been thru a hurricane before. That worked well — Having friends around is never a bad thing, and if something were to happen, you have help to come up with a solution.
BE SAFE!
Pam Ryan Anderson
Real Estate Broker
Ryan Realty
pam@ryanrealty.org
727-432-1528