How to prepare for a hurricane
Those who haven’t experienced a major hurricane or other significant natural disaster really don’t understand what it’s like to go through one. Nature can destroy in minutes or hours what it takes humans weeks, month or years to build. The fallen trees, destroyed houses and other structures, blocked roads, and no power are only part of the damage. There is often a significant human emotional toll, especially for the families and friends of those killed. The emotional toll your suffer has a great deal to do with how prepared you are for the aftermath of the hurricane.
This post will take you through preparation for Hurricane Gustav while sheltering in place. If you have to evacuate, your preparations will be different. I’ll write about preparations for evacuation in a later article.
It’s September 22 as I write this, and we still don’t have internet service at our house. Gustav hit September 1. I’m accessing the internet most days from our local Chick-fil-A restaurant or Community Coffee House. Both have free wireless internet service.
McDonald’s does not have free wireless access. They charge $3.95 for 3 hours and the restaurants don’t have electrical outlets conveniently located to plug in and charge your laptop. I’ll be leaving my thoughts at the McDonald’s website at some point to tell them just what I think of their lousy internet service offer and back-handed price-gauging with their “limited menu” over 2 weeks after the storm.
But I digress…
All who live down here are in a constant state of readiness as of June 1 when hurricane season begins. We collect most of our supplies in the spring and during the summer. There are things you must do before each storm specifically, however.
If you aren’t prepared for the storm, you’re screwed and had better be ready to leave as soon as you’re allowed out, or evacuate far away to a place that won’t be affected before evacuations are ordered and the storm hits.
Be Prepared
If you prepared for the storm:
You washed all your laundry and have clean clothes for every family member for at least a week. You got at least $60 in cash in case you need something. You refilled all your prescription medications and stocked up on any over-the-counter medications you rely on. You have a full tank of gas in your car (in case you have to evacuate and because the power will be out for several hours to several days after the storm). You have plenty of ice in your freezers to store your food and at least a few ice chests. You have a camp stove with fuel (white gas or propane), charcoal and lighter fluid for your grill, and an old fashioned percolator that brews coffee on the camp stove. You have plenty of canned food and bottled water, milk in boxes that don’t require refrigeration until opened (Parmalat), other canned soft drinks, toilet paper, and formula and diapers (if those apply to you). You have at least 4 tarps on hand to throw over any holes in your roof. You have your favorite types of puzzle magazines and books you’ve intended to read handy. You’ll have plenty of time to catch up on those. You still own an old fashioned phone with a cord that plugs into the wall. As long as the lines are up, you have phone service if you are on an old system. If you have cable telephone, you won’t have phone service because it requires electricity.
But wait, there’s more…
You replaced the batteries and bulbs in your lanterns, or got plenty of lamp oil for your hurricane lamps and white gas or propane and mantels for your combustible fuel lanterns. I prefer battery-powered lanterns because they don’t pose any fire or burn hazards and give off much more light than their combustible fuel cousins. They are completely safe around children and pets. They also don’t give off heat, a big plus when it’s already 90 degrees inside. The lantern batteries last about 4-5 days. You replaced the batteries in all the flashlights and tested them. Flashlight batteries last quite awhile depending on usage. You replaced the batteries in the radio, too, because that will be your only source of information for several days after the storm. The radio batteries will usually last a week or so. You bought a second set of fresh batteries to replace those you will be using when they are drained. You charged all your electronic devices and have car chargers for them. A cell phone is no good if the battery is dead and your children will complain loudly if they can’t get at least a little time on their handheld game system (Nintendo DS or Sony PSP). Your cell phone may be your only means of communication for several days. You may have to use text messaging or SMS because the towers are jammed with calls. A call may not be able to connect but a text message can be sent as soon as your phone finds a cell to send a packet of information. You bought a year’s supply of mosquito repellent because you will be chewed to bits if you aren’t covered in the stuff every time you walk out of the house. Nothing says “hurricane aftermath” like 20 mosquito bites just taking the pot outside to the camp stove to make coffee.
If you were super-prepared and/or have the money
You may have really planned ahead and prepared some meals ahead of time that just require heating up on the camp stove. You spent the summer emptying your freezers down to the bare minimum of what you use regularly. No power means all that stored food will spoil if it isn’t used within the first 72 hours after it thaws and you must have cooler space and ice for it all. Some people have battery-powered TVs. One of our TV channels continues to broadcast throughout the storm and its aftermath. This is the last hurricane season those TVs will work. Television broadcasting will become totally digital in February 2009. Hopefully, manufacturers will make some small, battery-powered, affordable digital TVs in time for the next hurricane season. You have a generator, you’ve changed the oil, test-started it and have enough fuel stored to last you 5-7 days. You have taken the time to become well educated in the safe use of a gasoline or diesel powered generator and know to use it outside and away from the house so fumes don’t enter. You have one room shut off with a window air conditioning unit plugged into your generator with the proper extension cord so sleeping is more comfortable and you have a place to cool off. Or, you went all out and bought a natural gas-powered generator that powers your entire house, including the air-conditioning. It’s hooked up to the natural gas line that feeds your water heater and furnace. If you don’t have gas service to your home, there are gasoline and diesel powered options, but you’ve got to store enough fuel to run that generator.
You shouldn’t have to go out for anything for the first 2-3 days and you’re ready to camp out at your house in the heat.
In part 2 of this article I will describe what it’s like to actually experience the storm. Go to part 2 here.
Posted on September 30th, 2008 by Sherri
Filed under: Gustav
[...] how to prepare for a hurricane this post will take you through preparation for hurricane gustav while sheltering in place. if you have to evacuate, your preparations will be different. i’ll write about preparations for evacuation in a later article. … [...]
i have china made car chargers at home and they work well on my Honda Jazz~-~