Hurricane Preparedness Calm Before The Storm

It’s a fact: hurricane zones are usually awesome places to live. See: New Orleans, Louisiana’s North Shore, beachfront property. Even though hurricane season presents a risk every year, most people still choose to settle in areas within tropical storms’ reach, because of their many other advantages. However, making this choice also comes with a certain required amount of hurricane preparation, and whether you’re new to the area, or you’ve been here for years, make sure to follow these emergency precautions – pre-storm.

If you’re located along wetlands, be it near a river, lake or ocean, it’s a good idea to start thinking about the kinds of protection you can get, in the form of renters insurance. Basic renters insurance is affordable and will cover any damage to your possessions that a landlord’s plan will not. Confirm that your policy covers wind damage and be aware of what it doesn’t cover. Hurricane Katrina taught the unfortunate lesson that if you’re located in a flood zone, then flood insurance is needed in addition, as renters insurance will not cover damage due to rising water.

Besides obtaining insurance, find out if you are in an evacuation zone. If so, make the necessary provisions, like a plan of where to evacuate and a keeping a hurricane supply kit on hand. This type of kit should include lots of bottled water, canned food, canned beverages, first aid kit, batteries and supplies for children and pets. Review the complete list of hurricane evacuation supplies to check what all you’ll need.

In the event that a mandatory evacuation is called, make sure to decide on a destination ahead of time and have a route mapped out to get there, avoiding major highways if possible. Make sure to have a full tank of gas when you head out and an extra supply if you’re going a long distance as some gas stations might be closed if it’s an evacuation scenario.

If you’ve never had to evacuate because of moody Mother Nature, then you probably have no idea what to do in such an event. But if you follow these basic guidelines, it will make the unfortunate experience a lot more tolerable. Let’s hope this hurricane season is kind, but if it gets testy – be prepared!

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