Family Survival Planning For Hurricane Season

If you live in an area affected by hurricanes or other natural disasters, family survival planning before disaster strikes in important.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast, particularly during hurricane season and make sure your entire family knows what is coming, what to expect and what to do to survive.

Here are some important tips to help you and your family prepare for the approaching hurricane and stay safe until it is over.

Family Survival Planning For Hurricane Season

Table of Contents

Know When A Storm Is Approaching

It is impossible to be prepared if you don't know there is a storm coming and when to expect it.

It is easy to stay alert to any severe weather threats including hurricanes.

Hurricanes have the added benefit of being one of the very few natural disasters that we can see coming from a long way off.

Set up severe weather alerts on your phone, watch the news, or keep up with the National Hurricane Center website.

Secure Your Property

Hurricanes bring a lot of rain and strong winds with them.

Use the time you have before the storm reaches you to secure your property.

Bring in things like patio furniture or grills that could be thrown around and possibly into a window by the storms.

Be sure to board up your windows and make sure your doors are secure enough to withstand strong winds.

In the event you know that you are going to evacuate, board up the doors on your home as well.

This helps to protect your home from the damaging winds of a hurricane and looters, as most looters will not have easy access to a hammer or pry bar, nor will they want to break into homes that are secure when so many other homes are easier targets.

Before hurricane season starts, it is a good idea to evaluate any trees on your property and have them cut back or cut down if needed.

If your property is prone to flooding having a few sandbags around to keep water from entering your home is definitely a good idea.

Prepare To Ride It Out

If you plan on riding out the storm at home and have not been asked to evacuate, make sure you are prepared to lose power.

Plan to be stuck at home for several days.

Make sure you have plenty of clean drinking water and food stored.

It helps to have food that is ready to eat if the power goes out and you can't cook outside because of the weather.

In other words, stock up on some canned good.

Crackers, peanut butter and bread are other items to stock up on.

Keep a battery operated weather radio handy so you can continue to monitor the situation.

Evacuate If Needed

If you are asked to evacuate, don't hesitate to pack up and head out.

Things can be replaced, people can't.

The earlier you choose to evacuate, the better.

You don't want to be stuck in a lot of traffic with a huge storm at your back.

Make sure you know your evacuation routes well ahead of time and have alternate routes planned as well.

Head to a shelter if you must.

These places quickly get crowded though, so if you have alternative options like staying with a family member or friend, take advantage of them.

Have Emergency Contact Information Handy

Create emergency contact information including numbers for the local police department. local emergency services, your insurance company, doctors and of course all family members.

Having these numbers with you will come in handy when you have to leave at the spur of the moment.

Don't rely on electronic devices to store these numbers because we all know electronic devices fail.

In the event power is out, a good old fashioned index card with important numbers on it will come in handy.

Even if the power is still on conserving the power on your electronic devices is a must.

Consider how many people won't think of this and will need to charge their phones.

By planning ahead you can avoid the panicked feeling of your electronic device batteries about to shut down during emergency situations.

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