In Florida, where I live, it is hurricane season. As a lifelong Midwesterner, I could not have fathomed what that means. Hurricanes by themselves are massive weather emergencies, but what we are expecting now is a once-in-a-century storm. People are being told to evacuate, and for the most part, are heeding the instructions. They are filling sandbags, boarding up their houses, and hoping that when this is all over, they will have something to return to. Hurricane preparedness is critical. People who are told to evacuate and choose to wait it out are taking an enormous risk.
How do you prepare for a hurricane? The basics include:
- staying informed of the storm’s path and its anticipated arrival
- being prepared for floods, high winds, and damage to buildings and landscapes
- moving anything that is outside to a waterproof place
- covering windows with wood shutters or masking tape
- filling a clean bathtub with water
- evacuating to a shelter if necessary
If you do have to evacuate, bring important documents with you, such as your do-not-resuscitate order, living will, advanced health directive, and health insurance information. It’s likely that you will lose power, so have flashlights with extra batteries for every household member. Keep at least one week’s supply of non-perishable food and water. Have an alternate plan, such as a cooler and ice packs if you rely on refrigerated medicines. Check the refrigerator temperature when the power is restored. Get rid of food if the temperature is 40°F or higher. Determine whether your home phone will work in a power outage. Keep mobile phones and battery-powered equipment charged. Keep gas tanks and cans filled.
Be aware of flood hazards. Flooding can take days to happen, but flash floods produce raging waters in minutes. Six inches of moving water will knock you off your feet. Avoid moving water if you must walk in a flood area. Uses a stick to test whether the ground is firm enough to walk on. Be ready to evacuate if that becomes necessary. Turn off your utilities at the main valves if you are instructed to do so. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
Tornadoes often accompany hurricanes. As soon as a tornado is cited, go to the lowest floor of your home, and find an interior room. Good places to shelter are basements, rooms and halls with no outside walls, bathrooms, and under the stairs. Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Get under a sturdy item, such as a table, and protect your head. Stay there until the danger passes.
These are somewhat dramatic instructions, but also remember to be practical. Pack a small suitcase with a couple of days of clothing and underwear and anything important, such as medications and papers. With a hurricane, you have time to prepare, which is preferable to living in tornado alley, where tornadoes can spring up with no with almost no warning. So, there is no excuse for doing nothing when you have adequate time to act.
As we watch the weather channel here in Florida, keeping close tabs on the direction Hurricane Milton is taking, the enormity of the storm with its high winds, floods, and storm surges, it is hard to imagine if you have never been through a hurricane. The best advice is, take this seriously, and do what you can to protect yourself, your family members, and your pets if you have them. This storm will end, and then the job will become one of cleaning up after its destruction before the next one arrives. This is our new reality.
