Stephanie Manley

So having moved back into the Houston area this year, means that a lot of hurricane preparation that I had previously done has gone to the way side, or those important objects are nowhere to be found after the move.  As soon as I feel that I have supplies that I want in hand, I am sure that no hurricane will pass by after this area being so devastated by Hurricane Ike last year, but you never know.  Here are a few things that I have gathered up for the next bad weather event.

A Red Cross hand crank radio, this also has a light source and can charge my cell phone.  Sure I may be cranking for awhile, but at least I will be semi in touch with the rest of the world.  My particular radio also has a few solar cells on it for when it is light outside.  The light can light a small room, and is fine for reading for short periods of time.   I have additional supplies of light such as a variety of candles, and an LED lantern as well. 

Food and water are large concerns.  Living the south means that when a hurricane is heading our way the grocery stores are wiped out.  No water, no bread.  I have gotten around the water issue by ordering more water for my monthly deliveries over the summer.  I can fill the empties when a hurricane is coming.  I also freeze up extra ice and store it in my freezer.  Ice is about as rare as chicken teeth so it is important to have this on hand as well.  For food it is important to have stuff you can eat that doesn’t require a lot of cooking.  There are a lot of meals in packages now that are shelf stable, and taste ok.  In addition to this, it is likely you will have the opportunity to use that grill for when the electricity goes out and you have a freezerful of meat.  So stocking up on propane or even charcol is a good idea.

Other things to keep in mind are the medications you take, locate them, order refills if you can.  Locate important documents and know where they are, you never know what you may need after the hurricane.  Make sure your pets have food.  Being prepared doesn’t lessen the damage you might suffer, but it does make it easier on you that you don’t have to run around and gather up supplies at the last minute.   Make sure you have food, water, medical supplies, clean clothes for 3 to 7 days.    If you have a lan phone line, get a cheap old fashioned phone, wireless won’t work after a hurricane.

There is a lot of different things you can do to make weathering a hurricane easier.  Have what you may need on hand.  A lot of items you need you can store in advance.  You can put aside light sources, water, clean clothes, and some food for your family ahead of time.  You don’t need to rush around the store at the last minute and not be able to find things.  Going through a hurricane is stressful but you can alleviate some of that stress with good preparation ahead of time.