Hurricane Preparedness Tips

Last week, as everyone on the East Coast was getting ready for Hurricane Irene, we asked our friends over on Facebook if they had any tips for hurricane preparedness. Between the possibility of a tropical storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days and Hurricane Katia still traveling towards the Atlantic, I thought it might be a great time to share some of the tips from our readers who have experienced hurricanes themselves.

"Remember gasoline for the generators and vehicles, and water! When Hurricane Ike came through Texas, our power was out for a week. That meant grocery stores were closed and gas stations couldn't pump gas. The nearest gas station with gas and electricity was 50 miles away, so plan for that as well. Whatever stuff you normally use, have at least enough on hand for two weeks. Once the stores open again, the stores won't be instantly filled. Don't forget your pets. Have them tagged and get them extra food. Make sure you have batteries and flashlights of all sorts, a larger lantern or two, and several of those smaller LED type lights that either hang on the wall or set on a flat surface. Fans, either 12volt or the kind that run on batteries and electric can be helpful. You might need more than one of these if it is really hot out!"

"While we lived in Florida, we went through four hurricanes...We included games to occupy our time while we waited for the storm to pass. We made sure to charge all our batteries (including computer, cell, etc.) before the storm hit. We used one of the computers to watch a favorite movie with the children while we hunkered in the bathroom during the worst part of the storm...We included comfort food in our preps as well. Don't forget to fill up the car with gas or freeze water jugs to place in your freezer. Clear the yard of debris and toys prior to storm arrival. While most of these preps sound trivial, they made it a lot less scary for the children."

"Make sure the pantry food is water tight!!"

"Take pictures of everything in your house room by room, you may need them. Also when Charley came through, I put all our important papers in the dishwasher, they stayed nice and dry."

"Sometimes leaving early is the best thing to do. This is a very personal decision and there is no right or wrong answer. It just takes a hard honest look at where you are, what you have and who you are responsible for."

Head over to our Facebook page to see all of the other great tips that were given by our friends. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share in the comments!

Also, don't forget to enter our awesome Traditional 2000" Year Supply giveaway! We are giving away one of our popular "Traditional 2000" Year Supply combos and the winner will be chosen this month in conjunction with National Preparedness Month. Click here for more information on how to enter.