Hurricanes, Storms, and Floods

What do you need to be prepared for a hurricane?

When a hurricane is on the way, it is important to be ready to evacuate or to shelter-in-place depending on the path of the hurricane or the severity of the storm. One should be prepared with:

1. An emergency evacuation kit, with enough supplies to ensure you will comfortably meet your needs during the storm and during the aftermath of the storm.
2. Supplies to board up or protect your home.
3. A stockpile of supplies to shelter in your home during the storm and for at least two weeks after the storm. Recent experience has shown that each individual or family should be prepared to be without the conveniences of electricity, running water, or access to stores for re-supplying.

What do you need for a hurricane kit?

There are some things some things you can count on in a hurricane: it is going to get wet, there will be a lot of wind, and the electricity will go out. Therefore, a hurricane kit must provide for all the basics we take for granted: food, water, first aid, breathing protection, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene.

What food supplies do you buy for a hurricane?

When preparing for a hurricane one needs to have enough food on hand to last for at least two weeks with the absence of electricity, refrigeration, stove top and oven cooking options, running water, or any way to resupply. If you have enough shelf-stable food, adequate water, and alternative cooking fuel and systems, you will eat reasonably well in the aftermath of a hurricane while being able to remain in your own home. In case of evacuation, you should also have shelf stable ready-to-eat foods that are compact and lightweight, so that you can easily carry them in a backpack or bag.

How do you prepare your house for a flood?

In addition to having a portable personal or family emergency kit to aid in evacuation, you can prepare for a flood by having the necessary supplies to
1. Keep water out of the house. This may include sand bagging and boarding up.
2. Minimize water damage. This means moving valuables as high as possible within the house or evacuating them from the house to a safe place before the flooding.
3. Evacuate the water and clean up as quickly as possible if water enters the house. Buckets, mops, rags, paper towels, disinfectants, floor fans, shop vacs, and pumps may all aid in the cleanup from minor flooding. In more severe flood it may be necessary to have tools to strip drywall soon after the incident to avoid mold.

What do you need in a flood survival kit?

Flood sometimes force you to evacuate, cause power outages, and cut off access to store for resupplying. Therefore, it is important to have survival supplies that meet all ten basic survival needs: food, water, first aid, breathing protection, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene. These survival supplies should be packed in waterproof bags or backpacks. In addition to the basic survival supplies, flotation devices, such as life jackets, rafts, boats, and canoes may be critical for survival in a flood.

What do you need for a storm kit?

Storms often cause floods, destruction, and power outages. Any combination of these can force you to rely on a storm kit for survival until help arrives. A well-stocked storm kit should include supplies that meet the following 10 basic survival needs: food, water, first aid, breathing protection, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene. These supplies should be stored in backpacks or bags in case evacuating the home is necessary. Shelter and warmth supplies should include ponchos or other provisions for staying dry in the storm.

What should be included in a 72 hour kit?

A 72 hour kit should contain everything necessary to survive for 3 days (72 hours) with no access to outside help, electricity, running water, or supplies of any kind. These go-it-alone 72 hour supplies should provide for the following 10 basic survival needs that each of us has: food, water, first aid, breathing protection, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene. It is important that the supplies have a long or indefinite storage life and are compact and lightweight. They should all fit in a sturdy backpack, bag or cart so that you are able to carry them with you while evacuating or abandoning your vehicle, home, office or other place of shelter.