Living in the Northeast we are amateurs at dealing with Hurricane threats but there are some common sense thing everyone should be doing to prepare.
Here they are in no particular order:
- Have plenty of bottled water available. If there are power outages because of flooding it will get hot inside the house.
- Have plenty of non-perishable snacks. We loaded up on chips, crackers, cookies, etc. These are things that won't go bad and if nothing happens these aren't things that will go to waste. No sense throwing away money at canned goods that you will never use.
- Flashlights and a battery operated radio should be a must although I have to be honest I don't know if any radio of ours actually work.
- Car charger for your cellphones is a good bet. If you lose power at least you can go charge your phone in the car.
- If you're from a part of the country that regularly experiences hurricanes, stop mocking people in the northeast for how they are acting. We know how you guys act with a quarter of an inch of snow.
- I set up text alerts from the local police department through Nixle since I don't have a land line and would not have received any "Reverse 911" calls.
- If you are asked to be evacuate....DO IT! It makes no sense to risk your life or that of any first responders.
- Have a bag packed and ready to go. Make sure you keep all important documents and medical supplies.
- Here's one I saw on twitter last year. Fill up your bath tub with water. You can use it to flush your toilet if need be. Had plenty of water in buckets and stuff but again...just to be safe.
- Is your gas tank topped off? Filled up our car yesterday and there like 8-10 cars lined up at each pump.
- Don't dress up like a bear and go to the beach.
- If you a reporter covering the storm DO NOT embarrass yourself and your organization by reporting from ankle deep water.
- FEMA says to put your freezer and refrigerator at the coldest possible temperature setting.
- Update people on how you are doing via social media (facebook/twitter) periodically so family and friends can check in on you. Red Cross has a pretty good iPhone app.
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