My niece just moved to St. Maarten and asked me to do a post on hurricane preparedness. I honestly have not lived through one, though my brother and his family lived through a hurricane while living in Florida.
I’ve gathered some GREAT websites that will give you lots of information on hurricane preparedness. They are a great read even if you don’t live in a hurricane area as they help you prepare for all disasters.
As I’ve read other people’s experiences, I would advise you to go beyond a 72 hour kit and store non-perishable food items in your home that can feed you for 2 weeks or more. Quite frankly, you may not leave your home or the area for awhile. And you may need to help feed and offer medical assistance to those around you, so plan that way. It’s never too early to prepare. St. Maarten is beautiful! Enjoy it Alicia and Roger.
http://stormcarib.com/
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml
http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/0305hurricane/
http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html
http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/hurricane.html
http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/index.shtml
http://hurricanepreparedness.org/
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/index.shtm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/intro.shtml
http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/0305hurricane/
http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html
http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/hurricane.html
http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/index.shtml
http://hurricanepreparedness.org/
I lived in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina. You CANNOT be too prepared. I was absolutely shocked by the number of people who had no food or water after 24 hours. So many people were starving after just a couple of days. your website is full of valuable info. I wish there was some way to make more people aware of the seriousness of becoming prepared.
THANKS for posting this! The sites were very informative- but mostly I was grateful for our customized food storage list. That makes shopping so much easier… if only I could read the languages on the packages at the stores…
Though hurricanes are not the culprit of concern here in Portland, OR, these suggestions are quite appropriate for ice storms, which leave the area quite debilitated for a while, with many folks home-bound.Thanks!
Been there, done that. So, my advice is to have a plan – a complete plan ready to go NOW, not when hurricane season starts. Have food, water – more important than food, supplies, etc enough for 4 weeks minimum. Have ALL your important papers (birth certificates, insurance papers,bank info, copies of credit cards, etc) in an easy to grab, waterproof container. Have money – paper and coins. Let family or friends out of the area know where you’ll be if you evacuate.Remember, you may not be able to stay where you live or you may not have a roof on your abode. Get a tent and at least 10 large (20×20 ft) tarps and rope, pegs to keep them in place. Hand tools such as hammers, claws, and protective gear are necessary. Help, other than emergency, may not come for a week or more. Several boxes of large heavy duty plastic bags will be handy.Best piece of advice – pay attention to the weather report and check on your neighbors.