It's Hurricane Season!

If you live anywhere along Florida's Atlantic coast, you are probably well aware that the first major hurricane of the season is heading your way.  Here are some things to do to be prepared before the hurricane hits:

• Obliviously preparedness for a hurricane should have begun weeks ago, however if you are new to all of this, here are the basics of hurricane preparedness.
• If you are in the path of a hurricane, consider boarding up your windows (note that getting the supplies ready to do this should have been done a while back, as it is, hardware stores have been inundated by those who are unprepared which makes for material shortages if you are trying to find plywood now).
• Keep an eye on your local news.
• Also keep an eye on the National Hurricane Center's website for up-to-the-minute information.
• Break out your weather radio for news and advisories as well.
• If you have a HAM radio, this may be one of your main forms of communication once power and cell service goes out.
• Be sure to charge up your cell phones, laptops, battery banks, etc. before the power goes out.
• Check the website for your local Emergency Management department.
• Be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice should a mandatory evacuation order for your area be issued.
• Put together a Bug Out Bag NOW.  Just in case.
• Use social media to share and receive information about the hurricane (examples: Facebook, reddit, Twitter).
• The Florida Governor's office has issued the following statement with information about the hurricane.
• Google for your local hurricane evacuation resources and shelters.  Note that after a mandatory evacuation order is given, more information on evacuation bus service and shelter services will be given, usually through your local news or Emergency Management website/Facebook page.
• Be prepared to take care of yourself after a hurricane until emergency resources can be deployed (this can take hours or even days after a hurricane depending on road conditions and the severity of the storm).
• If you need emergency help (for a real medical emergency, not just calling to tell someone a hurricane hit) call 911 (if it isn't a life or death emergency, don't make calls so phone lines can be open for those who need them).  If phone calls won't go through, some 911 services have text capabilities.  If that doesn't work, call or text a family or friend in a different area and have them try to call for help for you (sometimes calls from out of the area can get through when local calls can't).
• If a hurricane hits your area, know how to clean up afterwards in a safe and efficient manner.
• After a hurricane, mark yourself safe on services such as Red Cross and Facebook so that even if your family can't contact you, they will know that you are OK.
• More info on Hurricane Dorian preparedness here, here, and here.

The Aftermath of Hurricane Michael

According to this article and this article, there are several lessons that preppers can take away from what is currently happening to victims of Hurricane Michael, including:

• A number of people decided not to evacuate; some of whom haven't been heard of since the storm and may be among the fatalities that searchers are finding now (lesson: when there is a mandatory evacuation, LEAVE).
• Some of the missing may be unable to communicate with loved ones who have filed missing persons reports on them because the power and phone lines/cell towers are down (lesson: have the ability to use HAM radio to communicate during a disaster).
• People are scrambling for food and water which is slow to reach many of the people in the disaster zone (lesson: have enough food and water to take care of you and your family for a few weeks AT LEAST and don't rely on anyone else to help you.  Second lesson: if you live in a hurricane-prone area be sure to store food in a place where it won't be blown away in such a disaster or won't have an entire house collapsed on it).
• Many of the people who didn't prepare for the storm are poor and elderly (lesson: no matter who you are, you need some sort of preps; ask for help from friends and loved ones if you can't do this on your own).
• Grocery stores, hardware stores, and other stores are either destroyed or emptied out and the roads are closed so supplies can't get to these stores (lesson: again, prep prep prep for a long-term disaster so you don't need to go out to a store that probably won't be there for necessary supplies).
• There won't be any power or water in the area for the foreseeable future (lesson: have alternate power and water sources to keep yourself self-sufficient for at least a month or longer).
• Most structures in the area were damaged in some way (lesson: know how to determine the extent of the damage to your home and have the skills and supplies to make repairs if possible to make your home habitable).
• Many roads are impassable (lesson: have alternate modes of transportation such as bicycles or motorcycles).
• People are calling around for help but there is no help to be had (lesson: don't rely on the government or anyone else to come help you--there are hundreds of thousands of other people asking for the same assistance--instead be as self sufficient as possible).
• Much of the assistance with food and water that the region is seeing is from regular people (lesson: help out during a disaster when and where you can; it's the right thing to do and people's first line of assistance when it can take day, weeks, or even months for FEMA help to arrive).
• "Without electricity, the wells don't work" (lesson: have alternate ways to reach your well water).
• Rural areas are the last to receive any assistance (lesson: again, being prepared ahead of time is your best alternative to waiting for help that may or may not come).

10 Ways a Hurricane Can Kill You

Hurricane Michael passed through the Florida panhandle this afternoon leaving a trail of destruction but fortunately only one death reported so far.  When prepping for different types of disasters, it is important to know how each disaster could kill you.  In the case of hurricanes, here are the ten most common ways people die in such disasters:

1. Electrocution by downed power lines.
2. Drowning in the storm surge.
3. Being carried away and drowned in flash flooding.
4. Being killed in mudslides.
5. Being killed by falling trees.
6. Blunt force trauma by blowing debris.
7. Carbon monoxide poisoning after the hurricane.
8. House fire during or after the hurricane.
9. Being killed by the tornadoes that often follow hurricanes.
10. Natural causes like a heart attack or fall.