Hurricane Preparedness Week, sponsored by the National Hurricane Center, runs May 1st to May 7th, 2023, and offers a good reminder for families living in hurricane and summer storm-prone areas to take steps to make sure that families and homes are safe before a storm hits.
An emergency preparedness kit is just one way families can plan ahead for unexpected events.
Basic kits should include:
- One gallon of water per person per day for at least three days
- A three-day supply of non-perishable food
- A battery-powered radio
- A flashlight for each family member, with extra batteries
- A cell phone with inverter or solar charger
- A manual can opener
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Important family documents
- Blankets
- Extra clothing
- Beyond creating an emergency preparedness kit, homeowners can do the following to protect their home and family.
- Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8″ marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
- Fasten your roof. Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
- Trim trees and shrubbery. Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so that they are more wind resistant.
- Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
- Have a plan for outdoor furniture/decor. Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
- Install battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms or plug-in carbon monoxide alarms with battery back-up. Carbon monoxide alarms help detect carbon monoxide gas when running your generator.
- Know your backup power options. Briggs & Stratton portable and standby generators help ensure that you have power after the storm hits keeping your home and family safe.
- Other Resources
- National Hurricane Center
- Ready.gov
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