Residential Preparation Overview

Anyone who lived through Hurricane Katrina will tell you that being cut off from the outside world can be a terribly frightening experience.  The numbers vary, but by most estimates, roughly 1,800 persons died as a direct or indirect result of Katrina.  As you prepare for a hurricane, keep in mind that you will need to be your own police, fire and emergency medical technician.  You need to be prepared to protect yourself and your family from looters, intruders, or just the idiots who like to run amuck when disaster strikes.  To learn more about training on firearms in your community, check the National Rifle Association training web page.  You should also attend a Community Emergency Response course to learn the basics of first aid and how to safely fight a fire should you be faced with that situation.  Check the Citizen Corps web site for a course near you.

As you prepare to weather a storm, you should be prepared to take care of yourself, your family, and your pets for a period of at least three full days.  Many government agencies have adopted the slogan "The first 72 (hours) is up to you."  However, if you're only prepared for three days, and help doesn't arrive as expected, you may find yourself very hungry and thirsty!  Even then, "help" may arrive with a stale peanut butter sandwich and water out of the back of a tanker truck.  It would be wise to have provisions on hand for at least a full week for the entire family.

Things You Should Do NOW!

There are several things that you should do now in preparation for not only a hurricane, but to be ready for nearly any emergency situation that may arise.

First, start with a checklist.  I've included several checklist throughout this web site to help get you going.  You can use these lists as the starting point for your own, then add and subtract as appropriate.  With these lists, you can more objectively evaluate your needs, estimate the cost and prioritize your purchases.  

The next step is to take your prioritized checklist and acquire any emergency medical and health-related items.  This is especially important for those who may take medications required to sustain their health.  A month's supply of critical medications is the minimum recommended quantity for most situations.  Seek your health care provider's opinion if you have any questions.

From here, you can essentially start working your way down the list of priorities.  Food and water should obviously be at the top of the list.  Once you've got the primary life sustaining items covered, then you should work on the safety and logistical items.  This includes gathering and storing all of you important papers and cash where you can access it quickly when the time comes.  These should be kept in a safe, waterproof container.

Also of great importance are the items you'll need to get by for a few days without utilities, especially electricity.  This includes battery powered or self-charging (crank style) flashlights, a good AM-FM radio, a weather radio, and perhaps a battery powered portable television.

If you are elderly or have special needs, and will need help evacuating, you should go to the Hurricane Evacuation Transportation Registration web site and enter your information.  You can also dial 311 in the City of Houston, or 211 for the Texas/United Way help line.

Things You Should Do Soon

If you have large trees that have overhanging branches that could fall onto your home, then you should have those trimmed back early in the season.  Any dead or dying trees may need to be entirely removed.

You should have already cut and marked plywood that will be used to cover your windows.  Half-inch plywood is probably the thinnest that you should consider using; five-eighths inch is even better.  Be sure to mark the plywood on both sides to save time during installation.  If you have a brick exterior on your home, then you may consider using Plylox Hurricane Window Clips instead of having to drill into the brick.  Another option is strong, lightweight material available from Windshield Systems.  And by the way, don't bother to use masking tape to cover your windows.  It adds no strength, and only creates a mess that will need to be scraped off after the storm.

To keep from completely losing all of those valuable photos, you may consider scanning them onto either a portable hard drive or CD.  You might also back up your home computer files onto a USB external drive, or use some a an offsite archive service.

Insurance

If you don't have flood insurance, you should evaluate your flood risk and consider purchasing a policy today.  Most homeowner policies don't cover flood damage.  Remember that there is a thirty day waiting period before the insurance will go into affect, so now is the time to buy.

Thoroughly document all of the valuable items in your home in case you need to file an insurance claim.  Receipts are typically the best proof of purchase, but a narrated video of the contents of your home may also be acceptable by your insurance provider.  Photographs are also a viable option in most cases.  Check with your insurance provider if you have questions.  Store this information in a safe place away from the home, such as a safe deposit box.  

There are a few things that you should do early in the season to prevent a last-minute panic as the storm approaches.  

As The Storm Approaches

As the storm approaches, you must complete your last minute preparations.  Keep in mind that anything left unsecured outdoors will become a missile in the high winds of a hurricane.  Even a trampoline can act as a sail and fly through the air with deadly force!

If you have a garage, park your vehicles inside to protect it from flying debris.  If you do not have a garage, then at least park where it is least likely that a tree limb, billboard or utility pole will blow over on it.  

Riding Out The Storm

You should ride out the storm in the most secure part of your home.  Most experts recommend an interior room without any windows.  Make sure your emergency lights and radios have fresh batteries and are readily accessible in your safe room.

If it looks like your home is going to flood, consider turning off your electricity at the breaker box.  If there is already rising water near your breaker box, be sure to stand on a non-metallic, non-conductive stool or ladder to reduce the chance of electrocution.

You should never leave your home during the hurricane unless it is a life or death emergency.  As Ron White so aptly stated, "it's not that the wind is blow, it's what the wind is blowing."  The smallest and most seemingly harmless objects can prove deadly when flying through the air at 100 miles per hour!

After The Storm

In a typical hurricane, roughly 59% of the deaths are due to fresh water flooding.  And of those who die in freshwater flooding, 80% walked into or drove into the water where they drowned!  So perhaps the most important post-hurricane advice I can give is to stay away from flood water if at all possible.  Do not venture out into the water unless you have to evacuate your home.  And never let your children play in flood water.  Beside drowning, the waters may contain dangerous bacteria, snakes, fire ants and a host of other nasty things that can ruin your day!  Flood waters can also blow off manhole covers, which can result in drowning if you step into submerged manhole.

Leave your breakers turned off until after the power is restored in your neighborhood.  This is very important, since the process of restoring the power often results in damaging surges throughout your home.  These surges can cause permanent damage to sensitive electronics and your air conditioning system!

 
Home To-Do Checklist

Home Inventory Checklist

Medications