Surviving the Storm – Hurricane Preparedness

Being prepared, it seems to be the motto of military-families worldwide.  Hurricane Season is upon us and it is time to start making plans, thinking through what we need to do to be prepared.

Some great tips from Hurricane Survivors include:

• Make sure you have lots of bottled water on hand and fill your bathtub before the storm. Tap water easily becomes contaminated and you won’t want to risk it before it’s checked. Make sure you have plenty of batteries, flashlights, candles, and nonperishable food on hand. – Cathy
• Keep those laptops and cell phones charged. If you have kids and have no power you’ll want to entertain them somehow. – Sarah
• The rain will fall and the floods rise up.  Even if you are away from a beach put furniture (especially heirlooms) up on blocks before you evacuate.  It could save you from some water damage. – Dale

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• If you are with USAA, call them and tell them that you have been displaced due to the storm, save all of your receipts!! They treated us wonderfully after Ivan and Dennis! – Marnie
• Make sure you have [pet] food in sealed rubbermaid containers, doggie treats, medical/shot records, medicine (flea/tick/heartworm), leash, and car carrier all gathered together. Leave space in the car for their carrier. Don’t forget animals need water too! Some hotels/motels accept pets, some do not. Make sure you know which ones do in the area that you are evacuating too. And whatever you do….do NOT leave your furry friends behind to fend for themselves! – Kathy
• If you are planning to stay in a local shelter know that all shelters do not take pets.  Ask around or you might be leaving Fido or Kitty in the car and no one wants you to have to do that. – Dan
• Wait Until the Coast is Clear. If you evacuated, listen to the radio or TV news stations and wait until the area is declared safe before returning. – How to Get Your Home Hurricane-Ready, USAA

A few more tips I’d like to offer:

• Put all of your important papers, like birth certificates, dependent military IDs, insurance documents and Tricare cards, deeds and titles in a travel folder.  Keep it with you at all times.  We keep ours in a fireproof safe that would be easy to grab in a moment’s notice to head out the door with.

• Stay calm.  Your kids, from infant through high school, will pick up on your stress.  If you remain calm and in control it will be a great learning experience for your own children.  They will know how to handle a stressful situation in the future as well.  Win/Win!
• Assemble a disaster kit /before/ you need it.  Here is a great checklist from FLASH, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes: Assembling a Disaster Kit
• Put together a 5-gallon tub of necessities.  I put this list together awhile ago and it is still very applicable. Emergency Preparedness

• Lastly, a favorite tip shared with us by Sprigster, LLC: “Leave if you can. Typically [it is] not the storm that is the worst part, it is the aftermath: no electricity, price gouging and no gasoline.”

Be sure to checkout our Pinterest Board: Emergency Prepardeness for more ideas, even if you aren’t in a Hurricane prone area there are still emergencies you need to plan for, tornadoes, tsunamis, fire or any other disaster.  To use Pinterest just click on any of the images on a give ‘board’ to learn more.
Stay safe, military-families!  We are rooting for you.

– Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.com

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Leanne is an Air Force Brat, Army Wife, and mom of four boys. Although Ohio is finally a place to call home she has lived in nine states and three countries.  Each geographic area has its own beauty and own challenges.  She loves being part of the American-Military Family and hopes you do to.byLeanne KocsisonTuesday, August 28, 2012Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Disaster Response,Leanne,Natural Disasters,Prepared