Summer is here and the hurricane season has already officially started in South Florida. Hurricanes are severe weather storms that can pass through an area in just a few days, but whose effects will be felt for much longer than that. Long-time residents know that a hurricane warning means preparing for power outages and water shortages. However, if you have just moved to South Florida, you may not be as familiar with these well-known preparation tips for hurricanes.
To ensure the safety or yourself and your family, it is best to prepare your home for these types of major storms. That’s why our South Florida moving company has compiled a list of essential hurricane season preparation tips that you can follow. Read these tips and you’ll have a much better understanding on how to prepare for a hurricane in Florida.
Increase Your Home’s Hurricane Resistance
There are numerous ways you can strengthen your home’s protection against sever hurricane weather conditions including high-speed winds and debris. Before hurricane season, you can invest in hurricane-proof windows. If your home doesn’t have those, install metal shutters or nail plywood over your windows.
Have your home retrofitted with roof straps or clips to secure your roof to the structure of your home. Invest in hurricane-resistance garage doors or reinforce them before a storm arrives. Remove all potential debris by removing outdoor furniture and decorations as well as hiring landscape professionals to trim your trees.
Prepare a Hurricane Kit
Create a kit of needed supplies and useful tools should you be stranded in your home or forced to evacuate due to a hurricane. Try to stock up before a severe hurricane warning hits to avoid the crowds of panic buyers (avoiding crowds is especially important during the current COVID-19 pandemic). These supplies and tools should be kept in a container or bag that can be easily taken with you. Your hurricane kit should include:
- First aid kit (including prescription medication)
- Personal hygiene products and sanitation items
- Flashlights
- Battery operated radio
- Extra batteries
- Solar cell phone charger
- Cash and important documents (inside waterproof container)
- Candles and battery powered light
- Matches or lighter
- Cooler and bags of ice
- Manual can opener and jar opener
- An evacuation plan
Save Up on Water
Major storms and hurricanes can lead to contaminated water. That is why it’s important to stock up on drinking water before a storm hits. Buy at least seven days’ worth of drinking water, including water jugs or packs of water bottles. To avoid empty shelves in grocery stores, the earlier you buy water in the hurricane season, the better. It is also unsafe to bathe in contaminated water. So, fill up your bathtub and large containers with water that can be reserved for washing and flushing.
Stock Up on Food
Food and water are the top priority when it comes to necessities you should stock up on. Since power outages can lead to a lack of refrigeration, it is best to stock up on non-perishable foods that don’t require heating up or refrigeration. Buy at least a three to seven day supply of non-perishable emergency foods including:
- Whole grain cereals
- Canned beans, chickpeas, and peas
- Canned lentils, corn, and mushrooms
- Jarred artichoke hearts and asparagus
- Dried fruits
- Nuts and sunflower seeds
- Peanut and almond butter
- Whole grain bread
- Crackers and rice cakes
- Energy bars
- Oatmeal
- Canned tuna and salmon
- Canned sardines
- Jerky
- UHT soups and instant noodles
- Dried pasta and canned tomato sauce
- Boxed potatoes
- Instant coffee
- Sports drinks
- UHT, evaporated, or powdered milk
- Soy and almond milk
- Oils and vinegar
- Ketchup and mustard
- Apples and bananas
- Oranges and lemons
- Carrots and beets
Be Smart About Power
Power outages are one of the more inconvenient things that can happen during and after a hurricane. When preparing for major hurricanes, it is best to prepare to live without air-conditioning, refrigeration, and lights for at least a couple of days. If you have a car and generator, fill up your gas tank and a few gas cans. Make sure to store them in a secure place of your home, gas robberies are known to happen.
During a power outage, your battery powered radio and cell phone will likely become the only way you can get information and communicate with others. Make sure to charge your phones before the storm and limit use after the power goes out. Charge all your portable phone battery packs as well. To ensure you always have access to your phone, invest in a solar power phone charger.
More Information
For more information on hurricane preparation, contact local organizations and county officials specializing in disaster response and emergency management. FloridaDisaster.org and FEMA’s Ready.gov are great places to start.
If you are planning to move to South Florida or to another state entirely, Established Moving & Storage should be your go to local and long-distance moving company in Boca Raton. We offer reasonably priced moving and storage services to both residents and businesses. For all your relocation needs, you can rely on our Boca Raton movers to meet them. Contact us or call 888-343-4755 today for a free quote!
