Physical Survival Before a Hurricane
Hurricanes affect a large swath of people in the United States and many other countries. No matter where you live, hurricanes cause the same destruction, mental anguish, and feelings of helplessness and despair. Being physically prepared for a hurricane is essential to your survival and well-being. Maybe you will decide to flee or shelter in place. In either case, seriously consider the recommendations provided by local, state, and federal authorities. Whether you flee or shelter in place you will have to prepare your property for the storm, plan for food, water, and medical needs of you and your family, ensure adequate communications, acquire an emergency kit or build your own, and plan for your financial needs.
In addition to the above preparation, there are some specific tasks to supplement your decision to flee the hurricane or to shelter in place.
Flee the Hurricane: The Hurricane that is on the way is a monster. You have been advised by civil authorities to flee. What else can you do to prepare?
- Have wireless emergency alerts enabled on your cell phone
- Identify hotels, motels, or alternate shelter out of the hurricane's path
- Determine a safe route to your new shelter and enter into GPS system
- Have a vehicle in good repair, gassed up, and loaded with your survival gear
- Notify family, friends, neighbors, and support group of plans
Shelter in Place: What if you make up your mind to defy the hurricane and shelter in place? What else can you do to prepare?
- Have wireless emergency alerts enabled on your cell phone
- Alert civil authorities, neighbors, family, friends, and support group that you plan to shelter in place
- Acquire protective gear - Live preservers, helmets, flotation devices, waders, signal flares
- In case of flooding, place food and water in waterproof containers, be prepared to move to higher level in house, a ladder may be needed
- Always run generators outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning
- Fill up your vehicle's gas tank and park in garage if possible
- Have tools available to turn on/off gas and water or fix other mechanical problems
- Have a location prepared for your pets
And remember, unlike other disasters like Earthquakes and Tornadoes, you have a good amount of warning in advance of the hurricane. Make good use of the time.