Hurricane Prep Starts BEFORE the Threat of a New Hurricane
Yes, you read that right! Planning and prepping for the next hurricane starts now.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you start your hurricane preparations before the next hurricane threat arrives. These are tips from the experts at FEMA and NOAA and other government agencies tasked with keeping you safe!
- Know your hurricane evacuation zone
- Decide when to evacuate your family (Cat. 1, Cat. 2, Cat. 3 or when a mandatory evacuation is called for )
- Write a written plan for when your stay, including a supply list
- Write a written plan for when you evacuate, including a supply list
- Plan to include your pets
- Have more than one evacuation destination plans – you need to evacuate away from the pending storm.
- Talk to your neighbors about past storm experiences.
- Buy hurricane supplies now, before they become a valued commodity – think generator, drinking water, ply-board, canned goods, extra gasoline cans, extra propane tank for your gas grill and more.
- Take an inventory video of each room in your home.
- Scan all your insurance documents and important papers to store in the cloud.
If you’d like a more VISUAL HURRICANE PREP LIST, check out one of our earlier posts with a super cool hurricane prep infographic.
Now that you know how to start preparing for the next hurricane, let us check on some hurricane myths floating around the internet…!
What NOT to Do: Debunking Hurricane Prep Myths
From the Tampa Bay Times come these myths that have been floating around on Facebook and other social media sites this past week as Floridians prepared for Hurricane Irma to make landfall. People just keep sharing these over and over and over!
Have you heard these myths? Have you SHARED these myths on social media? Please stop!
- Crack your windows during a hurricane
- Taping up windows prevents them from shattering
- Hotels are required to house pets and service animals
- The dishwasher is a safe place to keep valuables you don’t want to get wet
- You only need to board up windows and doors that are facing the water
Do not take your advice from Facebook. Do not take your hurricane advice from ‘friends, families and neighbors’ reposting ‘copy & paste’ tips from who-knows-where. Instead follow the guidelines from FEMA and your local government agencies experienced in hurricane preparedness.
Hurricane Prep Tips To Seek Your Teeth In!
You can connect with FEMA on ready.gov to get started.
Another great agency for up-to-date hurricane information is NOAA.
We understand that sometimes reading these official government sites can be intimidating, so take care to always check your sources if you do read non government information on non government sites.
Hurricane Preparation and Family Emergency Planning Go Hand in Hand
If you have never made a family emergency plan, start today.
That includes making a plan for a tornado, hurricane, flood, fire or other natural disaster.
We hope you never, ever have to implement such a plan, but in case of emergency, you will be so happy to have a plan to refer back to to help you move forward.
As always, if we can be of assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to us!
