6 Unique Ways to Prepare for a Hurricane

6 Unique Ways to Prepare for a Hurricane 

Let’s presume you’ve prepared for all the basics of an impending hurricane. You’ve purchased flashlights, batteries, gas, and everything else you can possibly think of. You’re ready! But are you really ready? 

This post contains affiliate links

Here are some unique things that you may not have thought of before to help you not only get ready for a hurricane, but potentially save yourself money, damage, and waste through these tips. 

Home 

On the day or night the storm is supposed to touch down, turn the air conditioner on and keep the house at a much lower temperature than you normally would. If the power goes out, you’ll be more comfortable, and this will help keep the freezer items from spoiling sooner than if the house was hot. 

Refrigerators and freezers can leak when the electricity is lost. Placing old towels around them in advance will help prevent a mess and potential damage. 

Placing towels and old rags around the windows, shutters, and window sills will help as well. Water can easily seep in from the wind pressure, and a few damp towels is much better than soaked drywall and floors. 

When the storm starts, close all of the interior doors in your home. If wind is entering through an open or broken window, having the doors closed will help to compartmentalize the pressure inside your home into smaller areas. This helps to reduce the overall force being put on the roof, and it has a better chance of staying intact. 

Do your laundry before the storm, so you have clean clothes in the event of a power outage. Also consider sleeping fully dressed during the storm, in case you need to leave in a hurry, and have a bug out bag packed and keep it next to the front door or inside your vehicle. That way you don’t forget it. 

Food 

If you have food that needs to be used up soon, like if it is starting to show signs of freezer burn, use it up now. This will prevent it from going to waste, and also free up room for more ice in the freezer to save the newer food and keep it longer. 

Stock up on paper products to save you from having to worry about dishes before, during, and after a hurricane. Especially if there is no electricity. 

Aluminum pans, propane, and charcoal are also essential so that you can cook outside on the grill and use the food from your freezer if the electricity is out. Having an outdoor grill should also be high on the priority list as a backup cooking method if you don’t already own one. 

Water 

Start running your ice maker now and bag the ice in freezer bags. Fill as much space in between freezer items as you can. You can also fill plastic bottles with tap water and then freeze. Just be sure to leave room at the top for the water to expand as it freezes. 

Frozen water bottles also work well as a form of “block ice” inside of a cooler. 

Fill the bathtub with water and seal the plug with wax, so you can use this water for sponge bathing and flushing the toilets. Also keeping water in old laundry soap and fabric softener containers under the bathroom sink is a great way to reuse those containers and keep water for other use besides drinking. 

Keep your pets in mind when storing and even freezing water. They need water too! It would also be useful to put together a pet bug out bag in case you need to evacuate. Start preparing your emergency water storage with as much time as possible before a storm. 

Communication 

Make sure that your phones, computers, and tablets are all backed up. This especially includes photos and contacts on your phone. You don’t want to lose either of those! 

Charge your phones, tablets, smart watch, and portable chargers. Make sure everything is fully charged before the storm. 

Create an “emergency” group on a social media platform, like Facebook, that allows your friends and family access to it. Then you can check in with them to let them know you’re safe, or if you’re choosing to evacuate, where you’re going, and what the plan is. Keep the group private besides your family and friends you want to see and know your plans though. This is an excellent way to keep in contact, without having to individually contact everyone to let them know you’re safe or if you need help. 

Always share your evacuation and travel plans with family, so they know where to find you or start looking if contact is lost. There will likely be plenty of people who lose contact and need to be found. Make it easier on your family to locate you by communicating your plans and locations. 

If you’re planning to leave the state, contact your bank and credit card companies to let them know. That way they don’t freeze your cards for potentially suspicious transactions. Also carry cash, in small bills with you when traveling. Because stores or gas stations may lose power and not be able to process credit or debit card transactions. They will also likely have little cash on hand to make change because the store safe will require electricity to open. 

Important Documents 

Take pictures of all important and vital documents, send them to your email, and then place the originals in a sealed bag. I love my vacuum sealer for projects like this. Just use the seal function, not the vacuum function. Also add an address label to each bag, just in case things get lost. 

Do the same thing with family photos and other sentimental items that cannot be replaced. Seal them up in a vacuum bag and add an address label to them. 

You may also want to take the time to hand write an emergency contact list, as an additional backup to your cell phone contact list, and put it in the important documents bag. If you have an address book, seal that up and put it in your purse or bug out bag, that way you know it goes with you if you have to evacuate. It may seem a bit redundant, but it’ll save you a lot of time and energy if you need them. 

Medical Needs 

Make sure you have the basics, especially if you have kids. This can include Tylenol, Vicks, upset stomach medications. When I say basics, I mean over the counter type medicine that anyone can purchase easily and without a prescription. I suffer from migraines, so I always have Excedrin for that, as an example. 

If you take prescriptions, make sure you have at least a one month supply in advance, and pick them up before the storm. Most doctors will give a prescription for a three month supply these days. Talk to your doctor about it and see what can be done to help keep you prepared and ready in instances like this. 

Create or purchase a first aid kit, and make sure there is plenty of supplies in it. I usually buy one and then add to it based on my personal and family needs. 

6 Unique Ways to Prepare for a Hurricane Notes 

I hope this list of 6 unique ways to prepare for a hurricane has been helpful to you and encourages you to increase your preps, and not just by purchasing the basics. I find that planning and taking steps to prevent damage in any kind of natural disaster to save time and money is really helpful and necessary. 

These aren’t things we think about when it comes to prepping, but shouldn’t be overlooked either. That is why I was inspired to make this list to help you. 

6 Unique Ways to Prepare for a Hurricane Discussion 

Has this list of 6 unique ways to prepare for a hurricane helped you to be more prepared for a hurricane? Are there unique ways to prepare that I’ve missed on this list that you find important? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Amazon Notice 

The Prepping Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, at no added cost to you.