Hurricane Supplies and Tips

Knowing that quite a few of us are in (and were in) Florida last year, and went through our share of major hurricanes then...and that today is the first official day of Hurricane season, felt it prudent to share what we learned...

The following are the supplies and tips I found to be the most useful. Please feel free to add yours....

IMPORTANT HURRICANE SUPPLIES

Canned and Dry Foods – ones needing only to be heated, or even not heated at all to be edible, also those Not requiring refridgeration.

Canned and Dry Pet Food – can’t forget to feed the family friends

Water – lots and lots of it. It’s a good idea to have a few gallons purchased, but as a storm nears, fill lots of additional containers with it. Also, fill up tubs and sinks, to use that water for washing, should City water supplies become contaminated. Put the additional containers in the freezer and fridge, as it serves a dual purpose of keeping the water cold (as ice) and helping to make the contents of the fridge and freezer last longer if you lose power. If you have a hot water heater, turn it off when the storm is about to hit. This can be an extra supply of around 20 gallons or so.

Sterno, Charcoal – will make eating canned food a lot more pleasant than cold spaghettios… Sterno is available in most sporting goods, discount stores. Be sure to have plenty of matches, lighters, etc.

Water Tabs – to purify water, available at most discount stores (Wal-Mart, Target), and hunting or camping stores. Good to have in a pinch.

Duct Tape and Plastic – not just for terrorists anymore! This is great for sealing up broken windows after the storm passes, keeping out insects, etc. It can also help maintain a seal for flooding, torrential rain, etc. around doors and windows. Large lawn trash bags make good plastic in a pinch.

Electrician Tape – ideal for windows, as it comes off more easily than masking tape or duct tape, and without the residue that those can leave. Remember, the tape isn’t to keep it from breaking, it’s to make less glass fly around if it does.

Wood – if you can’t plywood over windows, and don’t have storm shutters, even a few planks can sometimes be the difference, and keep large debris from smashing open a window. Put up what you can.

A Radio with Batteries – or preferably a portable battery powered tv. This way, you can keep track of the storm as power is likely to go at the worst time, when the storm is about to hit.

Diversions – board games, cards, handheld video games, whatever, just some activities to keep you from being completely bored when the power is out for hours on end.

Light – flashlights are great, have a lot, and with good batteries. Oil lanterns are best though, for long hours without power, last longer, shine brighter for room purposes, etc.

Baby Supplies – if you have a baby, have plenty of food, diapers, etc.

Insurance Info – it is extremely important (if a homeowner) that you have all the documentation you need in case your home is damaged, concerning your policy. Keep it in a waterproof container or Ziploc bag, etc. Also keep some spraypaint on hand so that you can put your company and Policy number, name, on your house for drive by assessments (you’ll get your money quicker).

Place to stay – be sure to know that if you have to evacuate, there are friends, family, or shelters you can go to. Going to a shelter has it’s own supplies to bring, but food, water, and diversions are paramount.

Yard Items - make sure to scour your yard for ANYTHING that could possibly be picked up by the wind and smash your windows. Items like lawn chairs, small grills, etc. If you have a pool, a quick solution may be to put waterproof lawn items in the pool until the storm passes. Do NOT drain your pool, the water works as a great cushion and protector.


[edit on 1-6-2005 by Gazrok]

the tuna and shrimp and crab in the bags that are now out are great to have on hand -- don't take much room and you can do a lot with them.

Like you said the oil lanterns -- I found that if you put 2 lanterns together with a mirror behind them you can read a book at night with no eye strain......DH worked for utilities so when we had hurricanes I was left alone for long periods of time afterwards with no power and looking for things to do.

One year I asked for a Coleman camp stove for my birthday -- so I could cook on that for water for coffee, noodles, etc. Now we have a big burner that runs on propane along with our grill -- so be sure to have propane on hand also.

We have to get a new generator --ours bit the dust last year and is so old you can't get parts for it anymore -- a generator is great even if you only use it like we do -- run it during the day to keep freezers cold and your fridge cold and to be able to get some hot water in your water tank to take a shower or clean up quick. That way you don't have to spend a ton of money to run your whole house but can keep the essentials going. Oh and on that note if you make list of what is in your fridge before a storm hits - it saves on the opening and closing and standing and looking for what is in there.

Your mention of not draining the pool is great -- also can be used if you have a well to take buckets of water in to the house to flush toilets. (Grew up in an area with wells -- filled many a tub for that reason )

And a final note -- if you live in an area that they say to evacuate -- don't question it just do it -- DH is on Rescue Squad and in Fire Department and too many times they have had to go out in storms to rescue people who refused to listen. Ticks me off completely when that happens.

edit to add -- if you take any meds get yours refilled before a storm hits -- pharmacies may be closed for awhile afterwards. . .

[edit on 1-6-2005 by justme1640]

Okay Floridians and well just about everyone in general, these are things, you should have done already or do at the start of each hurricane season. I'm just going to add on to the great advice Gazrok gave above.

Once a storm watch is issued, fill up your Gas Tanks, last year we had to deal with long lines and closed gas stations. Do it early, keep a spare container at home in a safe place and safe container of course. Just do it early and save yourself alot of frustration. At this time of the year, I usually do not let my gas tank fall below half. (i'm never waiting hours or driving around looking for gas again!)

I am under the assumption that you hopefully have homeowner's insurance, flood insurance and/or renters insurance.

Get a camera, walk around your house and take pictures of all your rooms, take individual pictures of antiques, heirlooms and other pricey items.
Make an inventory of everything you have in your home, try to put a dollar value next to each item.

Make copies of your pictures and inventory list, keep one at home with you in a waterproof container or ziploc bag. Give the other to a relative or friend who is out of state or create on your pc and keep it in your email or somewhere you can access it from any computer.

If you live in Florida for over a year and don't have shutters, start planning on how you can afford them, if not for this year, maybe next, but every home in Florida should have shutters. I'm having accordian shutters installed soon, should be done by next week, it's costing me roughly $4100 to give myself peace of mind, security and ease when storms threaten. Consider doing the same, especially if you plan on staying in Florida for the next few years, keep in mind, hurricane shutters will reduce your insurance premium, so it is a wise investment all around.

Besides the canned and dry goods, you should also stock up on regular household supplies that you normally use. Paper towels, tiolet paper, soap, toothpaste, garbage bags, feminine products, etc, you may or may not be able to get to store for a few days after the storm.

Citronella candles, bug spray and a first aid kid is also a must have.

If you can afford about $40.00, get yourself a small propane stove and a few cans of propane, coleman makes affordable and convenient products.

Basically camping supplies of all kinds are good to have on hand, it helps if you like going camping too, kill two birds with one stone

Excellent comment on the gas...this was a MAJOR problem last year...and you'd go to station after station that was simply empty. Also, besides the lines, it may take a while for those stations to open back up.

Get Wood EARLY. Home Depot, Scotty's, Lowes, etc. all run out quick right before a storm is about to hit.

Forgot to mention the camera, another great idea. Especially be sure to get pics of EXPENSIVE items, such as electronics, appliances, etc. for insurance purposes.

I'd never thought of the picture idea before. Most of my heirloom pics are already digital and backed up on discs (even those formerly film prints), so had done this already, but a great reminder to those who haven't. NO insurance check will replace lost memories folks, treat them with care and back them up!

A generator is a great idea too, but be sure to heed the warnings. They are to be used OUTDOORS. We had people die last year due to fumes. Don't be one of these!!! Also, be sure to realize this is for essentials like fridge, freezer, etc. If you try and run too much off it, you could end up with no generator at all. Pick one room to use AC and cool THAT room (only) off. If you have central heat/air, probably a good idea to get a small under $100 AC unit, just in case, because summer in FL without AC can be deadly if not just unpleasant.

Citronella is a great suggestion. With standing water after a storm, mosquitoes and other nasties will abound. Some cans of OFF spray, etc. are a good idea too.

Great comment on the toilet flushing too... If you don't know how to manually fill the toilet tank, etc. learn before a storm hits.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS

Here are some that I stocked up on…just as an example.
No doubt your likes/dislikes will be different than mine, but thought it showed
Some ideas…

CANNED VEGGIES
Corn
Green Beans
Potatoes

CANNED MEATS
Vienna Sausages
Tuna
Chicken

CANNED MEALS
LaChoy Chow Mein
Numerous Chef Boyardee types
Soups

NON-FRIDGE FOODS
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Ramen Noodles
Instant Mashed Potatoes (ones needing just water, not milk)
Instant Noodle/Rice Dinners (ones needing just water)
Crackers, Chips, other Snack Foods
Granola Bars
Pop-Tarts
Powdered Drink Mixes (water gets old quick sometimes)


Lots of other things, these just popped into mind. Keep in mind to eat your fridge stuff first if you lose power, meats, etc. and keep the other stuff for when needed. Chances are, the fridge stuff will be preferable anyhow, hehe…

And if you live in an area that may be evacuated -- have an evacuation kit ready -- some plastic storage bins you can get in Home Depot or the like with snap on tops that are easy to pick up and go are great for this. Have a couple of changes of clothes (things easily washed in sinks and dried) and some blankets or bedding in one (if you end up in a shelter having your own stuff is great). In another have water, food, snacks, (be sure to rotate these out during the year so they are fresh). Like Gazrok said earlier some diversionary things cards, books, toys, games - you can spend a lot of time just sitting and waiting. A good idea is to have all your meds. in one area in one room so you can load them up fast without worry that you might forget something important. If you have the room for another bin -- put your important papers, pictures, licenses, etc. in that - Things that cannot be replaced and may be needed in the future.

Oh, and have some cash on hand -- banks may not open for a while and ATM's need electricity and someone to replenish the money --- and stores and gas stations etc. may lose the phone lines and other things necessary for credit card use.

WOW! Its nice to see a thread like this. This year now that I live a little more inland I think ill be ok regardless of what comes (unless its something extremley rare). Yesterday which I didnt realize was the day before hurricane season we finally got renters insurance. We didnt have it last year but we lucked out. Only supply were buying is water. We didnt get anything last year. Im sure well survive again.

With our current storms out there, giving this one a bump...

Another important addition...

MEDICATION - Have at least a couple weeks supply of any needed prescription meds.

Id say a battery powered tv would be nice. If its not already mentioned.

Lots beer and alcohol too.

Im mentioning the 2 things us men can survive off of.

LOL


Gazrok you wanna throw a hurricane party? Have one once or twice a month.

My moms mad cause im not evacuating this time around at all. Im inland in the Carrollwood area and could weather winds where I live. She on the other hand wants to evacuate at first sign.

Thought it a good time to get this back in current viewing...for those of us in the Sunshine (haha) State...

The other day, I saw something pretty cool, at Wal-Mart, they had a radio that could run on solar or hand crank power even.... Damn nifty for this kind of thing.

Another cool thing Ive seen is a flashlight that you shake to generate light. No batteries ever required and the light is plenty bright and it can shine for about an hour without having to shake it again.

Beware of scams, before and after the storm. Many people got ripped off last year when a so called contracter demanded a cash downpayment or even a full cash payment before they start working and when they got it they dissapaered.

Make sure you get quality shutters, look at what you are buying. If you can chuck a baseball at your shutters and it will damage them then odds are they will get torn up in a storm.

A full tank of gas is important and gas shortages always happen when a storm hits. As soon as possible fill the tank up, if you wait to the last minute the gas stations will likely be out of gas.




[edit on 26-8-2005 by jrod]

Yeah, I saw a commercial for those lights, and will definitely be ordering the set...pretty reasonable, and a full guarantee....

A full tank of gas is important and gas shortages always happen when a storm hits. As soon as possible fill the tank up, if you wait to the last minute the gas stations will likely be out of gas.

Or unable to process credit/debit cards, which is another point...get out some cash from the ATM folks....

[edit on 26-8-2005 by Gazrok]

Count on your electricity being out during and after the hurricane has passed.

*Set your fridge/freezer to the coldest setting
*Fill empty spaces with bags of ice
*Keep a cooler filled with ice
*Have portable battery operated fans
*Have games/toys to keep kids and yourself busy while you wait for the power to come back on.
* Have lots of batteries in all sizes.
*Most important, keep a good temperment and just go with the flow and make the best of your situation without putting yourself in unneccessary danger.

I think there's major thing missing.
It "might" be good idea to pack spare clothes, and stuff like that/everything which isn't waterproof itself and you want to keep dry watertightly. Or at least such way that it's proof of splashing water/rain.
And if you put stuff to rucksack it's easy to "line" it rain tightly, just put plastic trash bag inside it and then everything inside that bag. (tested thing... used in army)


For easy to use light LED flashlights are much better than normal flashlights, they'll burn days at minimum while some of them could be kept on for weeks. (like this)
Also chemical lightsticks would work well as disposable low intensity lights. (they might not be bright but even small ones give enough light for avoiding obstacles so you don't walk to those... and seeing little on what you step)

I heard somewhere that you're supposed to spray paint your insurance details on the side of your house so that the claims agents can quickly file you.

Dont know about that one though? anyone?

Oh, and get gas tonight. No matter where you are.

Yes, after the storm, it's a good idea to spray paint your insurance company name, policy #, and last name, to get faster service from damage assessment teams, so spray paint is a good thing to add to the list. (doh! just noticed it's in my initial list, hehe...)

In light of WW's failed communications with Mizar, another idea occurred to me...emergency cell phone batteries!!!!

This way, if power is out to your charger, but the towers actually are still up, you'll have some means of communicating....

On the communication note, portable walkie talkies are another excellent idea, and can be had for as little as $30 for a decent pair. Each person in the household should have one, more for the aftermath, than for the actual storm.

A marine flare gun may come in handy too, if you're in a flood zone, to help alert rescuers to your position...or even traffic flares, such as those in emergency kits.

The change of clothes recommendation is a good one.

Another oddball one....contact wearers should have a backup pair of glasses....or at least some disposable lenses and solution.

If it hasn't been mentioned....insect repellant, for the standing water after the storm.

[edit on 1-9-2005 by Gazrok]

If you live below sea level an inflatable boat may be advisable as well, looking at what Katrina did to New Orleans.

and don't forget to have an AXE or SAW to cut your way out, if flooding occurs.

this may sound morbid, but if you plan on staying for a CAT 4 or 5, writing your personal info in a waterproof marker on your body is a good idea for recovery efforts afterwards.

I would also suggest a small photo album of your favorite pics. After all, unless you have them all on-line, that is the one thing most people miss most if they lose everything.

Additionally, it is one of the main causes for death/injury in fires, people running back for 1) pets, 2)photos.

Isn't it best to have them readily on hand than to risk life for them?

Besides, easier to dig them out and annoy your guests with