Hurricane or any kind of storm Prep Tips

I was born and grew up in Indiana but moved to Florida in 1986.  I have been through my fair share of hurricanes but the one we are experiencing today and tomorrow is like nothing we have ever seen. We knew this monster storm Irma was going to be huge and destructive and we had just watched and prayed as Texas got hit with Harvey so we all prepared early.  Over on Facebook the last week or so I posted tips that I do for prepping for. storm.  Many of these tips can be used in any kind of bad storm.

When preparing for a bad storm catch up on your laundry and run your dishwasher to keep clothes and dishes clean prior to the storm hitting Saturday/Sunday. That way if we lose power everything should be clean when the storm hits. Also, having a supply of paper goods such as paper plates, cups, utensils, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels are handy too as well as wipes.

 I always make sure ALL our family members have showered and washed their hair the day OR hours before the arrival of the hurricane. Then if by chance you lose power AT LEAST you all will be clean and hopefully your power won't be off too long. I like clean, good smelling human beings in our home 

:-)

Also,  before your last garbage pick up before the storm, clean ALL trash out of your house and garage and recycle bins. You never know how long after the storm will garbage pick up take to start again if the storm hits hard. I went through our entire home getting ALL trash out- including trash cans, counters, refrigerator, garage and back patio garbage can. Get it out and in the garbage cans and to the curb before the storm! 

For those who can't find bottled water . . start boiling your tap water. Your boiled tap water is as healthy if not healthier than bottled water . . plus it's much cheaper. Also, don't forget carbonated water is a great alternative too. I noticed many people are passing them by in the stores. Perrier, LaCroix, etc . . it's water but with bubbles :-). 

If you can't find sandbags. You can take a pillow case or pillow protector and fill that with sand. A zippered one works the best but you can use a non zippered too.

Fill ALL bathtubs with water so you can use that water bucket out to flush toilet, brush teeth, wash dishes etc. Have buckets in every bathroom to make it convenient for everyone 

It's pretty inevitable that our power will go out in a major storm so we purchased a few items that will help us when it does.  One items was this Crank, Battery, Solar Powered Radio  Here are the details:            .

• 5-way powered emergency radio, AC, battery, hand crank, solar, computer
• AM/FM/Shortwave radio and 7 pre-set NOAA weather channels with alert
• 180-degree adjustable solar panel

No ice? Fill ziploc bags with water and freeze. If you lose power you can use these bags of ice to keep your food cold. We also had purchased this past summer this portable ice maker . I have been making ice since yesterday and have been continuing today.  If or when you lose power you can use these ice packs to keep food or medications cold in coolers.  You can also use the ice to make your warm water cold.  

This this particular ice maker makes small, medium and large cubes.  The ones pictures are the medium cubes.  

One of the most important items you should have is a portable generator   This will allow you to keep on average up to four things plugged in.   When we lose power we immediately plug in our refrigerator, a light, a fan and then use the last one to either charge devices or plug in a small appliance to cook.  There are many different ones on the market that very in strength.  Make sure when you start the generator it is OUTSIDE under a porch . . it can NOT be started in your home or garage.  It must be OUTSIDE when turned on.  We keep ours on our back patio and then run a heavy duty extension cord into the house.  

A powerful portable charger is a MUST!  This portable charger is a work horse and comes packed with power.  I love this one because there are 3 USB ports and can recharge items for hours.  

• Choose the RAVPower Treatment: Entrusted by 100,000+ customers for keeping their devices charged when off the grid
• Colossal Battery Capacity: 26800mAh charges most smartphones over 6 times or a tablet 2+ times for an average of 9 days of unrestrained usage per charge
• Charges 3 Devices Simultaneously: 3 iSmart 2.0 USB ports provide e powerful total current output of 5.5A. Note: Does not support Qualcomm Quick Charge
• High-Speed Recharging: Charges in just 14-15 hours with a 2.4A charger or 23-24 hours with a 1A charger
• What You Get: 1 x RAVPower Xtreme Series 26800mAh Portable Charger, 2 x Micro USB Charging Cables, 1 x Carry Pouch, 1 x User Guide & Free 18 Month Warranty

Does your family know where is your SAFE ROOM or SAFE CLOSET iin case of a tornado? Wherever your SAFE PLACE is make sure that place in your house is all cleaned out by Saturday. Ours is the closet under the stairs and it's normally four things but I've started to clean it out so that there's room for all of us to get in that closet in case of a tornado I like to put a few pillows and blankets as well as all wallets, important papers, phones, charges and bottled water and snacks in there.  In regards to your safe room or safe closet . ..make sure EVERYONE has a pair of shoes already in the closet. If by chance a tornado does damage your home at least everyone will have shoes to put on so they don't step on glass or other sharp items. I will probably put a pair of flip flops in the safe room for everyone because I really do not want smelly tennis shoes in the closet with us :-) BUT I will have everyone put in another closet downstairs a pair of tennis shoes just in case.

Here is another hurricane tip. Make sure during the time when you have hurricane strength winds that you keep your house sealed. Do not open or crack a window and try to keep the doors closed. ALSO, keep all your INTERIOR doors closed because if a window in a room is broken that will help to isolate damage. IF a window does break in your home you need to OPEN ANOTHER WINDOW to alleviate pressure in your home. If you do not open another window that will put pressure on your roof.
Make sure you have ALL your preparing done by Saturday evening. Everyone who is staying needs to be off the roads and hunkered down. From what weather forecasts are saying here in Central Florida we will feel hurricane strength winds starting around 6pm SUNDAY to 6am Monday morning. Just to put this in perspective . .. in 2004 with Hurricane Andrew - he only hung around for 90 minutes and then was gone. They are saying that it could take Irma 12 hours to pass totally through. Most of Central Florida will have sustained winds over 100mph for up to 12 hours. This is nothing like we have ever been through. 

Another hurricane tip for those with pools:
7 Tips to Prepare Your Pool For a Hurricane

1. Do Not Empty - Drainage is almost always in the design of the pool. Water in the pool provides weight to keep the pool in the ground. An empty pool can float or pop out of the ground due to pressure from excessive ground water caused by heavy rains.

2. Turn Off Power - Circuit breakers at the main electrical panel should be turned off. Pump motors, lighting, chlorinators, and heaters should not operate in the storm.

3. Protect Electric Pool Equipment - Wrap the pump motor, time clock, light transformers and electric heaters with waterproof plastic. Tie securely in place to prevent sand and water from entering. If flooding is expected, disconnect these devices and store them in a dry place.

4. Remove Loose Items - Chairs, tables, toys, pool tools or other loose items can become dangerous projectiles in high winds. It’s best to store them inside away from storm. Avoid throwing furniture into pool, unless it is a last resort. If so, gently place objects in pool to avoid damage and staining.

5. Add Extra Chlorine to the Pool - To prevent contamination from debris and excessive storm water, add a Leslie’s granular shock, preferably Power Powder Plus or Chlor Brite.

6. Do Not Cover Pool - Storms can cause falling branches and other debris that can damage pool covers. It’s easier to remove debris from the pool than it is to replace a cover.

7. Protect Screen Enclosure if you have one Providing a vent for wind to flow through can help prevent damage. Possibly remove screen panels on opposite sides of the enclosure.

One more hurricane tip - if you live in a two story house prepare ahead of time to keep all family members on your lower level. Have them gather prior to the storm hitting what belongings they want to have from upstairs and bring them downstairs. We own a two story home and we will have our grandsons and both daughters with Carlos and I. Our son in law is out of state in Kentucky. We will be sleeping on the lower level Sunday night and probably have the twins sleep in the safe closet all night so we don't have to take them back and forth from a bed to the room. I have a feelings the adults in the house will be staying awake all Sunday night but we will be able to jump in the closet if we need to.

As Florida has Hurricane Irma heading over our state my prayers are with every single person and family who are here experiencing this storm.  As I am finishing this blog post we are experiencing high winds and rain.  Praying that NO HUMAN LIFE be lost in this storm.