6 Ways to Prepare for Hurricane Season

If you live in a coastal city, you already know that hurricane season is upon you. It happens every year during the fall and summer. Some hurricane seasons are mild while others are completely devastating.
Although everyone always hopes for a mild hurricane season, it’s better to be prepared for the worst than to be caught off-guard.
Here’s a quick run-down of how you can make hurricane kits for yourself and your family in the event of a natural disaster.
-
Know your risk
Certain areas are more at risk for hurricanes than others and hurricanes have been known to travel farther inland than most people expect. Know your risk by looking into where hurricanes have hit in the past and tracking current storms closely. -
Make a plan
One of the most important parts of hurricane preparedness is having a plan and making sure everyone in your household knows what that plan is. Make sure your pets are a part of your hurricane preparedness plan! -
Have an emergency kit
Your emergency kit should include everything you need to survive for a few days. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief when everyone flocks to the stores for equipment, and you’re already prepared!
- Flashlights
- Candles
- Batteries
- Lighters/matches
- Emergency power source (like the Duracell PowerSource Portable Power Station)
- Medication
- 3-day supply of drinking water (one gallon of water per person, per day)
- First-aid kit
- Basic toolkit
-
Prepare your home
Make sure your home is as hurricane-proof as possible by installing hurricane windows and/or shutter, cleaning up your yard, reinforcing your HVAC systems, parking your car in the garage, and safely storing leisure items like bicycles, grills, patio furniture, etc. You may also want to do the following:
- Replace stone/gravel landscaping materials with much or bark
- Cut loose branches
- Seal outside wall openings like vents, outdoor outlets, garden hose bibs, and spots where cables or pipes go through the wall with a urethane-based caulk.
-
Review/update insurance policies
Your homeowner insurance policy will likely cover storm damage, especially if you live in a coastal city. However, typical homeowner insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. You’ll want to make sure your home is covered in the event of a flood, and you might want to check to ensure your home is covered in the event of wind-blown water damage too. -
Stock up on supplies
Aside from having an emergency power source and your go-to hurricane preparedness kit, do your best to stock up on supplies in the event that you’ll be without power or water for longer than you expect. It’s recommended to have a well-stocked pantry with non-perishable food and water that you can survive off of for about a week or share with your less fortunate neighbors.
In this Digital Age, having an emergency power source is extremely important. Our cell phones and laptops keep us in touch with loved ones and informed about what’s going on outside. Make sure you’re prepared for anything with a Duracell PowerSource Portable Power Station!