Creating a Family Plan for a Hurricane Emergency
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a normal hurricane season this year with 12-17 storms but just because it is going to be a mellow year doesn’t mean that your family shouldn’t have a hurricane emergency plan in place. There are a couple of things that you will need to do but let’s first focus on the preparedness checklist.
Preparedness Checklist:
Emergency Supplies:
Batteries & chargers for devices: 3 days’ worth
Emergency medical kit: include 1 month of any important meds
Food and water: at least one month of dry goods and water supply
Shelter in Place:
Be prepared to be without power, water, gas, and internet for long periods. You can use your phone in airplane mode to save power during these times and/or turn it off when not used to save power.
Know where your family will go in your home in the event of high winds: best practice is a small room with little to no windows
Have a flood evacuation plan: know what your family will do if flood water starts coming into your home fast.
Evacuation Plan:
Know where your family will go, how you’ll get there, and where you will stay.
Make sure that everyone in your family is aware of this plan in case you are not together when the evacuation happens.
Protect Your Home:
Before things get bad, bring in any items that could blow away in the wind, such as trash cans, etc.
If items aren’t safe to bring inside, such as a grill, make sure to anchor them down
Put out all sandbags for water diversion and capture
It’s important to wait for government officials to say it’s safe before you go home or conclude your shelter in place. Also, remember that floodwaters are contaminated and any food or drinks that they may have touched is now to be thrown away. Your tap water may not even be safe to drink yet. Check with local authorities to find out first. Let your family know what your emergency plans are. This way, everyone will be on the same page and stay safe during a hurricane emergency.