Hurricane Survival Kit
by Dr. Rick Knabb
Essential Items
During a hurricane, and possibly for days or even weeks afterward, electricity and other utilities might not be available. Debris and/or water might block the roads, preventing vehicles from getting in our out of your neighborhood. Help might not reach you for days after the hurricane, so you’ll need to be completely self-sufficient during that period.
Here are some of the most critical supplies to have on hand, well before a hurricane threatens:
- At least a 3-day and preferably a 7-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day)
- Non-perishable food
- Formula, diapers, and other baby supplies
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Prescription and non-prescription medicines
- Toiletries
- Cell phones and battery-powered cell phone chargers
- Battery-powered radios and flashlights
- Plenty of batteries
- Extra cash
- Blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games (especially if evacuating)
Be Prepared in Advance
Before a Hurricane Is Out There
- Create a written emergency preparedness and action plan for your family and business.
- Visit your insurance agent now. Review insurance coverage for your home and business, and the contents. Determine your flood insurance eligibility – homeowners insurance typically does not cover flood damage.
- Buy plywood or shutters for protecting windows. Trim trees to lessen flying debris.
- Find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone by contacting your local emergency management office. Make an evacuation plan if you live in an area vulnerable to storm surge or fresh water flooding, if you live in a mobile home, or if you live in a high-rise building.
- Identify the evacuation route you will use if told to evacuate. Determine the nearest substantial, low-rise building outside of flood zones to which you can evacuate ”“ an official public shelter, a hotel, or a friend’s or relative’s home. Find out if where you’re going will accept any pets.
- Agree upon two places family members can meet if separated: one outside your home for an emergency while there, and one out of the neighborhood if you cannot return home.
- Test emergency equipment such as generators and flashlights.
- Decide where you will store your boat during a tropical storm or hurricane, and factor into your action plan the time to move it to storage.
- Assemble a hurricane survival kit. Obtain emergency supplies now to be self-sufficient during the storm and its potentially lengthy aftermath. If you wait until a hurricane is on your doorstep to buy these items, they will be in very short supply or even completely unavailable.
How Will You Be Warned?
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
The National Hurricane Center issues the following coastal watches and warnings for tropical
storms and hurricanes:
Tropical Storm Watch ”“ tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are
possible somewhere within the specified coastal area within 48 hours.
Tropical Storm Warning – tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are
expected somewhere within the specified coastal area within 36 hours.
Hurricane Watch ”“ hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) are possible
somewhere within the specified coastal area. Because hurricane preparedness activities become
difficult once winds reach tropical storm force, the hurricane watch is issued 48 hours in advance
of the anticipated onset of winds of tropical storm force.
Hurricane Warning ”“ hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or greater) are expected
somewhere within the specified coastal area. The hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in
advance of the anticipated onset of winds of tropical storm force.
Local National Weather Service forecast offices issue tropical storm and hurricane watches and
warnings for inland areas, using the same wind criteria and lead times described above.
In addition, these local National Weather Service offices will issue an Extreme Wind Warning
when sustained surface winds of 115 mph or stronger are occurring or are expected to occur in
the specified area within one hour, as a result of a hurricane of Category 3, 4, or 5 on the Saffir-
Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This warning conveys the need to take immediate shelter in an
interior portion of a well-built structure (but not necessarily the lowest floor, if the area is
vulnerable to flooding).
Take Action
When a Hurricane Threatens
Depending on your location, you could be told to evacuate before a warning or even a watch is issued by the National Hurricane Center. Notify someone unaffected by the storm about your whereabouts.
No later than when a watch is issued:
- Fill vehicles with gas.
- Get extra cash.
- Fill prescriptions.
- For mobile homes, secure tie-downs and prepare to evacuate when ordered.
- Bring in loose objects from outside.
- Prepare to secure all windows with shutters or plywood.
No later than when a warning is issued:
- Secure all windows with shutters or plywood.
- Place valuables and important papers in a waterproof container and store on highest floor
- of home.
If you are told to evacuate:
- Follow all instructions from local officials, and leave immediately when told to do so.
- Bring emergency supplies listed above.
- Bring copies of important papers such as insurance policies and list and photos of your home’s contents.
- Bring blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games.
- Unplug appliances, turn off electricity and main water valve.
- Lock windows and doors of your home.
- Go!
If you are not told to evacuate:
- Stay at home! Leave the roads available for those who must evacuate.
- Clean bathtub with bleach, fill with water for washing and flushing (not drinking).
- Set fridge to maximum cold and keep closed.
- Turn off utilities if told to do so by local officials.
During a Hurricane
- Go to an interior room on the lowest level of the structure in which you’re taking shelter.
- Stay away from windows and doors, even though they’re covered with shutters or
- plywood.
- During extremely strong winds, lie under something sturdy such as a stairwell or large piece of furniture.
- Do not go outside, not even during passage of the eye. If the eye passes directly over you, the winds could become very weak, but only for a very short period. It will not be long before hurricane-force wind resume, blowing from the opposite direction as before the eye arrived.
After a Hurricane
- Help might not come for up to a few days, and power could be out for days or even weeks.
- Avoid driving on roads covered by water and/or debris. It is often difficult to determine the depth of water covering a road. Turn around, don’t drown.
- Avoid downed power lines. Stay away from objects that are touching a downed power line, such as a fence or tree.
- Do not touch anything electrical if you are wet. Stay out of water that could be touching anything electrical, such as in a basement with electrical appliances, or in flooded areas outside where there could be downed power lines.
- Only use a generator in an outdoor, well-ventilated area, and closely follow manufacturer’s instructions. Many people have died in the aftermath of a hurricane from inhalation of poorly ventilated carbon monoxide from a generator.
- Use flashlights instead of candles for light. Candles pose a serious fire hazard.
Hurricane Home Prep
Protect Your Home from Hurricane Damage
Hurricanes are like no other storms on earth. From Maine to Texas, and in Hawaii, these ferocious weather systems bring torrential rain, flooding, storm surges and devastating winds that damage homes, destroy treasured keepsakes and disrupt family life. You don’t have to be blown away when a hurricane hits. It’s never too early to prepare and you can take several basic steps right now to protect your family and your home from disaster.
First Things First
Find out if your home meets current building code requirements for high-wind regions (for example, the International Residential Code, which is promulgated by the International Code Council). Experts agree that structures built to meet or exceed current model building codes’ high-wind provisions have a much better chance of surviving violent windstorms.
If you’re handy with a hammer and saw, you can do much of the work yourself. Work involving your home’s structure may require a building contractor, however, or even a registered design professional such as an architect or engineer.
When Working Outside
- Replace gravel/rock landscaping material with shredded bark.
- Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Cut weak branches and trees that could fall on your house.
When Building or Remodeling
Windows: If you are replacing your existing windows, install impact-resistant window systems, which have a much better chance of surviving a major windstorm. As an alternative to new window systems, install impact-resistant shutters that close over window openings to prevent flying debris from breaking windowpanes.
Entry Doors: Make certain your doors have at least three hinges and a dead bolt security lock with a bolt at least one inch long. Anchor door frames securely to wall framing.
Patio Doors: Sliding glass doors are more vulnerable to wind damage than most other doors. If you are replacing your patio doors or building a new home, consider installing impact-resistant door systems made of laminated glass, plastic glazing or a combination of plastic and glass. When a hurricane threatens, an easy, temporary and effective step is to cover the entire patio door with shutters made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB).
Garage Doors: Because of their size, garage doors are highly susceptible to wind damage. A qualified inspector can determine if both the door and the track system can resist high winds and, if necessary, help replace them with a stronger system. Garage doors more than eight feet wide are most vulnerable. Install permanent wood or metal stiffeners. Or contact the door manufacturer’s technical staff for recommendations about temporary center supports you can attach and remove easily when severe weather threatens.
Roofs: If you are replacing your roof, take steps to ensure that both the new roof covering and the sheathing it attaches to will resist high winds. Your roofing contractor should:
- Remove old coverings down to the bare wood sheathing.
- Remove enough sheathing to confirm that rafters and trusses are securely connected to the walls.
- Replace damaged sheathing.
- Refasten existing sheathing according to the proper fastening schedule outlined in the current model building code for high-wind regions.
- Install a roof covering that is designed to resist high winds.
- Seal all roof sheathing joints with self-stick rubberized asphalt tape to provide a secondary moisture barrier.
If you want to give your roof sheathing added protection, but it’s not time to reroof, glue the sheathing to the rafters and trusses. Use an adhesive that conforms to Performance Specification AFG-01 developed by APA — The Engineered Wood Association, which you can find at any hardware store or home improvement center.
Gables: Make certain the end wall of a gable roof is braced properly to resist high winds. Check the current model building code for high-wind regions for appropriate guidance, or consult a qualified architect or engineer.
Connections: The points where the roof and the foundation meet the walls of your home are extremely important if your house is to resist high winds and the pressures they place on the entire structure.
- Anchor the roof to the walls with metal clips and straps (most easily added when you replace your roof).
- Make certain the walls are properly anchored to the foundation. A registered design professional can determine if these joints need retrofitting, and a qualified contractor can perform the work the design professional identifies.
- If your house has more than one story, make certain the upper story wall framing is firmly connected to the lower framing. The best time to do this is when you remodel.
When a Hurricane Threatens
You can improve the odds of your home surviving high winds by taking these precautions, but you won’t make it hurricane-proof. Nor do these measures guarantee your safety. Take these additional steps to protect yourself and your family as fully as possible:
- Become familiar with your community’s disaster preparedness plans and create a family plan. Identify escape routes from your home and neighborhood and designate an emergency meeting place for your family to reunite if you become separated. Also establish a contact point to communicate with concerned relatives.
- Put together an emergency kit that includes a three-day supply of drinking water and food you don’t have to refrigerate or cook; first aid supplies; a portable NOAA weather radio; a wrench and other basic tools; a flashlight; work gloves; emergency cooking equipment; portable lanterns; fresh batteries for each piece of equipment; clothing; blankets; baby items; prescription medications; extra car and house keys; extra eyeglasses; credit cards and cash; important documents, including insurance policies.
- Move anything in your yard that can become flying debris inside your house or garage before a storm strikes.
- If a hurricane threatens, follow weather and news reports so you know how much danger you’re facing. Obey evacuation orders from local authorities.
Review your homeowners insurance policy periodically with your insurance agent or company representative to make sure you have sufficient coverage to rebuild your life and home after a hurricane. Report any property damage to your insurance agent or company representative immediately after a natural disaster and make temporary repairs to prevent further damage.
For information about filing an insurance claim after a natural disaster, contact your insurance agent or insurance company.
Source: Institute for Business and Home Safety. IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters
Hurricane Survival Kit
