Hurricane Survival And Preperation Tips
Prepare For Hurricane Survival And Comfort
Those of us on the Gulf Coast would like to extend sympathy to the Eastern Seaboard people who may be threatened by Hurricane Irene soon. We still have memories of Katrina, Rita, and Ike fresh on minds. Between the three of them, they gave us some unwelcome classes in preparing for hurricanes. We would like to share what we did right and what we did wrong!
Will you hunker down? Most of us decided to shelter in place, or as we say in Texas – hunker down. Our comfort and safety depended upon how well we prepared for this enforced time at home. Based on my experience, I would suggest providing for yourself for at least a week, if not two weeks. The few days after the hurricane are likely to be hectic, and you cannot count on open stores and gas stations!
Elderly People - You have to make sure that any elderly, ill, or special needs people are provided for. There are some horror stories of mixed up communication that left disabled and old people alone to fend for themselves without aid.
One bed ridden woman was stuck in her bed for 3 days before she was discovered. The home health aid and the daughter were both stuck, and each thought the other was handling the care duties. Lucky for everybody, the woman was recovered in time, had some drinking water by her bed, and she was OK. This could have been tragic though.
Gasoline – Be sure and fill up your tanks. Even if you are only stuck at home for a day or two, the power may be out at gas stations. You may not be able to refuel for awhile. Just be careful about storing fuel outside of your vehicles. If you want to stock up on extra gasoline ahead of time, be sure and used safe and approved containers.
Water – You will certainly need a supply of drinking water for your family. You may need water to cook. Also consider basic sanitation, cleaning, and bathing needs.
Beyond that, it is a good idea to fill up your bath tub and possibly, an extra clean garbage can with water. You may need this to flush the toilet. Be sure you have some sort of empty container you can use to pour water into the toilet to flush it if you need it.
Ice – This is, of course, frozen water. We take it for granted when the freezer works. When the freezer and fridge are off, because the power is off, ice is handy. My suggestion is to clear out unneeded items from your freezer and pack as much ice in as possible. That will probably keep your ice the best, especially if you try not to open it often. Of course, a good cooler packed with ice will be helpful too.
When the last of your ice melts, you will miss it.
Medicine and First Aid – A basic first aid kit is a must. If anybody takes medication, make sure they have an adequate supply. The day after a hurricane is no time to be looking for a doctor or pharmacy if you can help it.
Canned Or Dry Food – Remember what I wrote about the fridge and freezer not working? After a couple of days, your frozen steaks will go bad and your milk will be rancid. You can learn to love canned chill, dry milk, cereal, etc. Again, I suggest stocking up for several days. The canned food or dry food will not spoil, and you can always donate it to a food bank later if you do not want or need it.
Lights – We heard so many stories about fires started form candle use. I’d go with the batteries if it were me. Besides flashlights, those little stick on lights are handy to have.
Cooking – If you will have a way to cook, you have a lot more options. Rice, dry beans, pasta, etc can form the staple of more interesting meals. A can of chile poured over some rice may seem gourmet at some point. You can even bake in the BBQ if you remember your basic scout lessons.
Make sure you have plenty of paper dishes, aluminum cooking pans, etc. unless you are sure you want to deal with washing a lot of dishes without a good supply of hot water.
The Good Thing About Hurricane Aftermaths?
Our neighbors really pulled together when we all lost power for several days. We enjoyed street BBQ parties. One family would throw in the bag of hot dogs that would spoil in a couple of days, while another neighbor produced pickles, cans of beans, Twinkies, Doritos, or buns. The simple and half stale meals felt like Thanksgiving feasts!
The crisis forced us to be neighborly in a way were seldom are when we don’t have to pull together. It brought back something we seemed to have lost in our cyberspace fueled world.
Come Together! Right Now! Over the Over50Website.com. Also check out our latest project, BeHappyYourself.com.
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And for goodness (crap’s) sake, don’t go outside during the hurricane. During Alica, more people died from running outside to move a car, etc than anything – maybe besides fires from candle flames. Your car insurance will pay for your car!
Good thinking David. I remember the story about a guy seeing a tree about to fall on his new car. He ran outside to move the car, and the whole tree fell on him and the car – he did not survive.
Don’t forget to charge your cell phones and get a battery powered radio. Also keep in mind, that cell phones may not work right after the storm because the towers can be damaged.
Also, one of those car chargers with an AC adapter is muy handy!