We are one month into hurricane season, and so far, so good! In last month’s blog, we discussed 4 tips for hurricane preparedness. Those weren’t the only tips we felt would be helpful for our clients, so we wanted to add 4 more tips to the list this month! We trust you will find these useful as you prepare for this year’s hurricane season. Don’t put it off, as you never know when the next storm will form. Implement these tips today!
The 4 tips for hurricane preparedness that we will discuss in this article are: 1) Food purchase and storage 2) Making a hurricane kit 3) Yard prep and 4) Forming a contingency plan. These tips will help you prepare your home, yard, and family for any upcoming storms. Your stress level can be significantly reduced simply by being prepared.
Because hurricane season lasts half the year here in Florida, many people brush it off or think they can throw stuff together once they hear of an impending storm on the news. The fact is that hurricanes often change speed and direction. What a hurricane looks like it’s going to do on Day 1 may vary drastically from what it actually does on Day 4. Being prepared for hurricanes is a part of living in Florida, and that preparation can make riding out the storm a little bit easier. So, let’s look at 4 more tips for hurricane preparedness.
#1 Food Purchase and Storage
It is best to have a stash of non-perishable items on hand. Don’t wait until the day before the storm before running to the store. Everyone in Florida knows they need these items. The shelves will be stripped bare. Instead, throughout the year, grab stuff as you see it on sale or simply grab an item or two each time you go to the store. When hurricane season rolls around, you will have a nice stash of food at the ready. And, don’t forget your pets! Keep an unopened bag of food on hand so you don’t run out during the storm.
You will likely lose electricity during a hurricane. If you don’t have a generator to run your refrigerator, you will want to have one or two large coolers in which to salvage perishable items. Be sure to have some bags of ice in the freezer, ready for use.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a deep freezer will retain its temperature for 48 hours if the door remains closed. Don’t keep opening it to see if your food is still frozen! After 48 hours, your food isn’t automatically thawed. The temperature in the freezer will gradually increase, slowly thawing the food. Depending on how soon your electricity returns, your food may still be good. Check the temperature. If it is 40 degrees or below, your food is safe to re-freeze.
Keep food stored up high on shelves to avoid damage from any flooding. Have plenty of bottled water on hand as water sources may become contaminated from flooding. Your area may issue a boil water warning, as well. If your appliances are electric, it is a good idea to have a propane-powered camp stove on hand to heat food or boil water.
#2 Making a Hurricane Kit
A hurricane kit doesn’t need to be elaborate. It can be a used Amazon box you keep in the pantry, as long as it contains a few essentials. We recommend flashlights and/or battery-powered camping lanterns. Include extra batteries in the box. You may want some large candles and matches or a lighter, as well. Who doesn’t enjoy a candlelight dinner, right? A battery-powered or hand-crank radio is also a good idea in order to hear updates on the storm. Walkie-talkies are another handy item. You can give one to a family member that lives nearby to stay in touch if your phone dies and you have no way to charge it.
#3 Yard Prep
If you don’t want to be tracking down your patio furniture all over the neighborhood after a hurricane, we suggest pulling it into the garage. Take down all small decorations hanging in your patio area, on your fences, etc. While they may help your yard look like a tropical paradise, they become flying projectiles during a hurricane. Bushes and trees can damage pool enclosures, so trim them back. If you can’t fit everything in your house or garage, put as much as you can in a shed or at least pulled under your patio close to the house where it is less likely to get swooped up by a wind gust.
#4 Forming a Contingency Plan
Have a backup plan in case an evacuation becomes necessary. Make plans to stay with friends or family members who live far from the storm. The traffic can become intense as people evacuate, so ideally, you should leave at least a couple of days before the storm. Otherwise, you may be sitting on the highway stuck in traffic when it arrives. If you don’t have anyone you can stay with, make hotel reservations that you can cancel in case the storm changes tracks.
Conclusion
While you can never fully predict what a hurricane is going to do or what damage it may leave in its wake, you can do your best to be prepared. By purchasing non-perishable food and storing it properly, making a hurricane kit, prepping your yard, and forming a contingency plan, you are on your way to solid hurricane preparedness.
If you sustain damage to your pool enclosure, patio enclosure, or screened-in porch, then give us a call at Tripod Aluminum. We specialize in the construction of pool enclosures, patio enclosures, and screened-in porches, as well as pool screen repair. We will happily help you get your yard back in tip-top shape. And one final word from those of us who have been through multiple hurricanes…never let your T.P. supply run low this time of year!