10 Tips for Hurricane Prep

If you are in the Gulf Coast you probably already know a hurricane is heading your way.  For those of you who have recently moved to the area from somewhere that doesn't have hurricanes, here are some tips to get prepared:

1. Go to the store immediately and stock up on food, water, and supplies.  Don't wait until 24 hours before the hurricane is set to hit before you go to the store or the shelves will be empty.
2. If you need to sandbag areas around your home to keep potential flood waters out, find out if free sandbags are being given away in your area (check city/county emergency management department, public works, roads department and local news for this information).
3. Bring in or tie down anything in your yard that could fly away during a storm (garbage cans, patio furniture, building supplies, yard tools, etc).
4. Follow the news on potential hurricanes heading your way multiple times a day.  Local news as well as the NOAA Hurricane Center are good places to check.
5. If you have hurricane shutters determine when and how to put them up.
6. Be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice if an evacuation order is given.  Also, learn ahead of time where your local evacuation shelters are if you have no other place to go.
7. If you decide to stay in your home, be prepared for a power outage and water source failure.  Store lots of water (a gallon per person per day), food, alternate methods for cooking food, alternate heating sources, alternate ways to charge your electronics, etc.
8. If you or a family members is ill or infirm, consider evacuating way ahead of time (ie: someone who requires electricity in order to live shouldn't wait until the power goes out to figure out what to do; if someone is 8.999 months pregnant they should evacuate to a secure area with adequate medical services ahead of the hurricane because EMS may not be available during the worst of the storm).
9. Gather the family together prior to the storm (no one should be traveling through the storm to get home; if they can not get home before the storm hits they should stay somewhere safe until the storm passes).
10. Once the storm has passed, be prepared to do minor to major clean up.

Find general hurricane prep tips here, here, and here.