This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is calling for a fairly mild hurricane season, however, that doesn’t mean preparing your home for a hurricane shouldn’t be your top priority. In fact, preparing for hurricane season, regardless of how mild reports may predict it to be, should always be a priority for homeowners living in areas prone to hurricane damage.
Hurricane home preparation may seem like an arduous, daunting task — and it can be — however, when broken down step by step, it’s far more manageable and easy to accomplish. The key to preparation for hurricanes is to begin as early as possible, however, you can still begin during any time of the year. Even though hurricane season has technically already begun, now is still a great time to stock up on key, last minute items.
Before you run out to the store, it’s important to remember that preparation for hurricanes first begins in the home. It’s important to create a hurricane preparedness guide or plan for you and your family members. This guide will serve as as your hurricane “Bible” of sorts, and should include pertinent information such as the names and contact information for nearby shelters. In addition, it should detail designated meeting areas in the event you and your family get separated.
Of course, stocking up on hurricane essentials such as water, non-perishable food items, batteries, and first aid kits is of the utmost importance. This can be done throughout the time actually leading up to hurricane season in order to make this task more manageable. In fact, the winter holiday season is an excellent time to stock up on canned food as many grocery stores have sales in preparation for holiday feasts.
In addition, it’s those who live in hurricane-prone areas, stocking up on plastic, water-proof storage bins is highly recommended. These can be used to store important documents and other fragile items during a hurricane.