How to Get Ready for a Hurricane. Joaquin is Coming.
In this article you will find important information on how to get ready for a hurricane. Joaquin is coming soon. What preparations for hurricane season are important to you and your family. What do you need in case of a hurricane? What do you expect when the electricity shuts off? What do you have to do before the hurricane, and how you are supposed to react when the hurricane hits.
In today’s world, people don’t realize how dependent they have become on electricity. In the case of an impending hurricane, the first thing we will lose is the power. When the power goes out, we will no longer have the ability to heat our homes, we lose many conveniences that we take for granted in normal day-to-day life. For instance, even our standard cell phone charger requires electricity.
It is important to note, that in case your house has water supplied by a private well that requires electricity to power the pump to get the water from underground. Things might be a little easier if you are connected to the public water supply, as there is no pump required to move the water. In this scenario, if you have a gas water heater, you will not have interruption in your hot water supply, allowing you access to hot water for taking showers, washing dishes or clothes, or even for cleaning household items.
One of the first things you need to consider is light. During the day time it is not that important because you have access to sunlight, but when it gets dark and without electricity, you won’t be able to see a thing. You will need a flashlight for each person in your family. It is also very important to collect some potable water for your family in case of water service interruption or trouble getting to a local store. We highly suggest that you have extra potable water in your home at all times in case of emergencies. It is recommended that you have approximately one gallon for each person in your household per day. It is also good to have a few batteries for the flashlights, a few spare batteries in case the outage lasts for several days.
Another very important thing is communication. When you lose communication, the world can feel like a lonely place. While cell phone network might not be damaged, you cannot use your cell phone without it being charged. You will need and want your cell phone fully charged. If and when the power goes out, make sure you have an alternative source to charge your cell phone, such as a power bank or a solar powered charger. But the solar chargers will only work during the daylight hours. There are also some batteries that have combinations of accumulators inside along with the power of the solar panel built into it. That would be the best combination. These chargers will last a few days with no problem.
If your house has an alternative power supply, such as a diesel or gasoline generator, you also have to think about fuel. It is easy to try to measure how many hours a day you need to run your generator, and how many gallons you need to supply those needs. Have these supplies ready and in a safe place ahead of time.
As well, it is always good to have alternative ways to cook your food. There are so many different versions of cooking stoves that work on regular propane gas, which is very affordable. The stoves are inexpensive and highly accessible. This alternative will allow you to be able to provide hot food for your family when there is no power or other options. It also allows you to boil water for sanitation and cleaning. When you have food for your family and enough potable water, things will seem much easier. Along with flashlights to use during night time, everything is going to be much easier.
It is important to remember that October nights might be really cold, so the last thing you need to think about is how to keep your house warm, and how to keep your family out of the elements. There are many people that have wood burning fireplaces or wood stoves in their houses, they are not going to be as drastically effected. All home heating systems require electricity, even your HVAC system requires electricity to function. Base board heat also requires electricity. The lucky people have wood burning fireplaces or wood burning stoves. Just make sure they are in good working condition. Make sure the chimney flue is clean so there are no issues during this time without power. Preparing your fireplace and/or stove prior to the storm will assure that they are in good shape when the time comes and you need them. After the summer break, and before the winter season, it is important to have someone inspect your chimney. If it requires some maintenance, they can do it before you need to use it.
Another type of fireplace that is becoming more and more popular is the gas log fireplaces. These use natural gas or liquid propane. They also might require electricity for the blower. Some require 110 volts, and some only require regular AA batteries. It is also good to have these inspected to make sure the burner is in the right working condition and does not require maintenance needs. It is better to be proactive and follow the steps on how to get ready for a hurricane. Joaquin is coming to the east coast withing just a week. All of these precautions will assure your family is safe.