It's time to make sure that you have a hurricane emergency kit prepared. Just in case.
What you need in it:
- Water: one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
- Food: at least a three-day supply of non-perishable items
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Can opener for food (if your kit contains canned food)
- Local maps
Those are the basics. FEMA suggests adding:
- Prescription medications and glasses
- Infant formula and diapers
- Pet food and extra water for your pet
- Cash or traveler's checks and change
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container. You can use the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit - EFFAK
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. When diluted (nine parts water to one part bleach) bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, it can be used to treat water (16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water). Do not use scented, color safe, or bleaches with added cleaners.
- Fire extinguisher
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
- Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels, and plastic utensils
- Paper and pencil
- Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children
Other things you might want to have in there as well:
- Have cash on hand. ATMs won’t be available.
- Glow sticks, a battery-free and fire-hazard free way of having a little light through the house."
- Hand sanitizer. You may not have water to wash your hands.
- Document beforehand. Take recent pictures of everything in the house.
- Protect important documents. Put them in a waterproof container.
- Move important items upstairs.
- Plastic zip lock bag. You can freeze water in them for ice and store items.
(SouthernLiving/MySA) Photo: Getty/JulNichols