With more and more hurricanes brewing, I wanted to make sure I covered this in case anyone needs some advice. Yes, there are a lot of these posts already on the web but it never hurts to have yet another one.
First and foremost, don’t panic to quote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This is the most important thing. Panicking can very well lead to more issues as it can muddle your judgement. An example of this would be suddenly deciding to evacuate when the water has already started rising, the car getting stuck and the engine ruined. In such a situation, you would have been safer in your dwelling.
You want to make sure you have enough canned goods for a week or two but don’t get more than you need. A lot of people before a disaster horde resources which only leads to shortages and an abundance for others. Unless your area is hit especially hard, you will very likely be able to go to the store after a few days to restock if power still hasn’t been restored. It’s tempting to prepare for all contingencies but it’s very important to remember that there are other people who also need assistance so please save some for your neighbor.
Evacuating is more of a personal decision but if an official recommendation to evacuate comes, it’s a good idea to listen to it. There are instances where the storm will not follow the suspected path but you’re very much better off leaving instead of riding it out. It’s a good way to get trapped without resources (see above), which can lead to life threatening issues. If you do decide to evacuate, don’t forget your phone charger.
I highly recommend having a battery powered weather radio on hand to help monitor the storm even when the power is out so you know when it is safe to go back outside. Additionally, make sure to have some sort of battery powered flashlight that isn’t your phone. Again, don’t use your phone unless it’s for an emergency. You may very well need it to direct rescue workers. And make sure it’s charged before the storm is scheduled to arrive. On a similar token, I recommend having some sort of backup such as power banks or even a portable solar panel (Goal Zero makes some nice ones) to help keep things charged in the event of a protracted outage. You may even consider a larger battery backup unit or a gas generator depending on needs and budget.
Additionally, one may want to unplug everything before the storm arrives to help protect not only your devices but to help prevent electrical fires as well. A surge can do more than just fry a device, it can also cause the wires and other components to catch fire. I’ve had two TVs blow up on me as well as a space heater in the past. During a heavy storm, power may fluctuate significantly for a variety of reasons, including the reallocation of the grid when damage occurs. If power does go out, it’s best to wait until it returns to plug everything back in. If it doesn’t, waiting a few hours after the storm to plug everything back in isn’t a bad idea as fluctuations will occur as damage is repaired.
Now for entertainment. Books will be your best friend. You could play video games but run the risk of losing power to them and you don’t want to waste your batteries to power a Switch or Steam Deck during a protracted outage so books are definitely the way to go. My personal recommendation is to use an e-reader, such as a Kobo or a Kindle. Why an e-reader, exactly? Well, in case power goes out and it gets too dark to see (it could during heavy rains), you won’t need to waste precious batteries on generating light as e-readers have back-lights.
Wind could also be an issue. Regardless of if your dwelling is exposed or not, it’s highly recommended to keep the blinds closed. That way, if any glass does break it decreases the chance of it flying about or getting on the floor where you can step on it. If your windows are exposed and you are supposed to get high winds, then you may consider boarding them from the outside to add another layer of protection. You could also consider taping the windows to help catch any broken glass. The catch is that it may be a bit of a pain to take down later.
As the threat of hurricanes grow, it is important to keep in mind the things you can do and worry less about the things that are out of control. Keeping these things in mind, and preparing, helps make sure you’ll be safe and sound as well as help limit property damage.
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