“How do we prepare for a hurricane?” It’s question no family would ever like to find themselves having the displeasure of asking, and yet so many Americans do, every year. In the past decade, we’ve experienced six of the top 10 deadliest, and most costly hurricanes in history, including hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Irene.
As trends show, hurricanes will only progressively continue to get worse, year after year. So how do we prepare for a hurricane? Hurricane home preparation starts with gathering the right kind of information. Assess your area’s risks by contacting your local National Weather Service office and the local emergency management office to find out what types of emergencies could occur, and how best to respond. You should also know about your home’s vulnerability to wind, flooding, and storm surges, and improve upon those.
Next, you’ll want to assemble a hurricane preparedness guide for your family. Keep a list of all emergency contacts, including the numbers for your local emergency management office, county public safety fire rescue, local governments, local hospitals, local utilities, local American Red Cross, local TV stations, local radio stations, and your property insurance agent.
Formulate a plan, and make sure everyone knows it. That way, if separated, no one in your family will ask “how do we prepare for a hurricane?” This plan should address issues such as where to meet if separated (home, church, etc.), what to do if you have to evacuate your home, and what to do if your gas, power, and/or water are cut off. It’s also a good idea to assemble and store a disaster supply kit, which should have a first-aid kit, flashlights, bottled water, and canned foods (plus a can-opener).
Gathering information, forming a plan, and taking action on it is the best, and only way to answer the question posed at the beginning, “How do we prepare for a hurricane?” If you have any more questions besides “How do we prepare for a hurricane,” feel free to ask. Check out this website for more.
