Make sure you have all the necessary supplies for emergencies.
Secure any and all loose items outside your house.
The winds may not be strong
enough to break a window but flying debris will defiantly break glass. That means
take down wind chimes, bird feeders, bring in trashcans, move plants
inside, secure patio furniture, etc. Anything left outdoors can and will
become a projectile. If items are too large to be brought inside,
secure them the best you can. Ask you neighbors to do the same so their
items do not blow through your windows.
Freeze jugs of water. Then you will have block ice to keep food cold and
after the jugs melt, you have drinking water. Once the power goes off,
move jugs of frozen water from the freezer into the fridge and keep the
fridge door closed as much as possible. You can also move the jugs into a cooler filled with
drinks to minimize opening the fridge. Remember, if your power is off,
the corner store will not have ice either.
The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-full) if the door remains closed. If your freezer is not full, fill it up with everything you can think of before the power goes off, i.e. water bottles, jugs of milk, even newspapers to fill in empty space.
If you run out of drinking water, everyone who has a hot water heater has access to 40 or so gallons of clean water. Simply drain the water from your hot water heater via the valve on the front. Also, if you have a washer in your home, fill the washer with water, when it starts the wash cycle, turn the washer off and you have gallons and gallons of fresh drinking water. Filling the bathtub is also a good idea.
30 or 40 gallon plastic trash cans are a good place to store large amounts of water for flushing toilets, washing dishes, and drinking if need be.
Newspapers are good to soak up water with. You don’t want to clean up water that may seep into the house with towels because if there is no power for prolonged periods you have no way to wash and dry wet towels. Newspapers are easily cleaned up and can be thrown away.
Do laundry and wash dishes before the storm hits. When the power goes out you don’t want piles of dirty dishes or clothing to deal with and charge up all your electronic devices before the power goes off (power may be out for weeks).
Pet owners also don't forget to stock up on food and water for your pets too!
The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-full) if the door remains closed. If your freezer is not full, fill it up with everything you can think of before the power goes off, i.e. water bottles, jugs of milk, even newspapers to fill in empty space.
If you run out of drinking water, everyone who has a hot water heater has access to 40 or so gallons of clean water. Simply drain the water from your hot water heater via the valve on the front. Also, if you have a washer in your home, fill the washer with water, when it starts the wash cycle, turn the washer off and you have gallons and gallons of fresh drinking water. Filling the bathtub is also a good idea.
30 or 40 gallon plastic trash cans are a good place to store large amounts of water for flushing toilets, washing dishes, and drinking if need be.
Newspapers are good to soak up water with. You don’t want to clean up water that may seep into the house with towels because if there is no power for prolonged periods you have no way to wash and dry wet towels. Newspapers are easily cleaned up and can be thrown away.
Do laundry and wash dishes before the storm hits. When the power goes out you don’t want piles of dirty dishes or clothing to deal with and charge up all your electronic devices before the power goes off (power may be out for weeks).
- Fill your car with gas and have cash on hand because ATM’s will not work.
- Stock up on can goods and make sure you have a manual can opener.
- Batteries, flashlights, candles, and lanterns are a must have.
- A good cheap way to keep clean without power is to take wet washcloths, put a little soap on them, and seal them in zip lock bags...homemade handi-wipes.
- If you are on medication, get your scripts filled before the storm.
- Don’t seal your car windows up airtight. When the pressure drops your window’s can implode.
- Keep extra pair of shoes under the bed in case power goes out and your windows blow out. You don't want to be walk around in the dark barefoot looking for your shoes.
Pet owners also don't forget to stock up on food and water for your pets too!
