Do I Need to Compose a Hurricane Preparation Checklist?

When the month of June rolls around, many millions of people who live in vulnerable areas around the United States hold their breath at the start of storm season. News organizations tell them that they should compile hurricane preparation checklists and warn everyone not to be complacent, even if recent seasons have been somewhat tame.

Whether you live near to the Gulf of Mexico, close to the Atlantic seaboard or anywhere within the state of Florida, your hurricane preparation checklist should be on the top of your priorities. We know from experience that all those areas have been at one time or another badly affected by tropical cyclones and a significant portion of the population is included.

Your hurricane preparation checklist should be comprehensive and dependent upon exactly where you live. Different areas require different levels of participation. For example, if you live inland near Dallas for example, you will not likely receive the worst effects of a major storm, but if you live on the beach in Miami you are at greatest risk.

Your family should be at the top of your list when you are looking at your hurricane preparation checklist. What will you do when a hurricane watch covers you, as this will directly affect your potential safety. Will you depend upon the strength of the storm for your decision? Talk to family and friends in safer areas now and plot out your routes for evacuation.

You need to get ready for serious weather conditions. Hurricane preparation checklists should itemize how you are going to protect your valuable asset, whether you are inside during the storm or not. Anything which could become loose outside must have a place within a garage or an out building for you to move them if needed. Fix any loose tiles or shingles and cut tree branches accordingly.

You will need an adequate list of disaster supplies and should itemize them on your hurricane preparation checklist. A battery operated radio and a first-aid kit is at the top, and then make sure that you have flashlights and batteries as well. Each person will need a gallon of water per day to drink and any food that you retain should be nonperishable and ideally able to eat without having to be cooked.

Wind driven rain can be one of the biggest problems during a major storm. Stock up on hurricane socks before the season stats. These are amazing products that can be scrunched up and made to fit snugly in all doorways and windows. When the storm approaches, the force of the wind driven rain and mild flooding will be stopped as these socks will absorb the moisture and save all your other valuables.

The good thing about our weather forecasting system is that it gives us a lot of notice of storms approaching from the tropics. Your hurricane preparation checklist should include a timeline, enabling you to do certain tasks a given number of days ahead of the storm's impending arrival.