Hurricane. Living in Louisiana all my life, I’ve experienced hurricanes of different kinds. Some are no big deal, but others have wrecked havoc. Having our own home and family, we have to be prepared and I’m the one that tends to over prepare. But if I do prep and the storm doesn’t hit, there’s nothing lost. I’m not complaining that my home is clean, my car tank is filled, and my fridge is stocked.
After sharing on Instagram about my prep, I got asked a bunch of questions, so I figured I’d just make a post that I could easily share. I am fully aware that I’m a little nuts about this. But it’s worked for us so we’re sticking to it. We have a 5 day rule. J is constantly watching weather and tracking storms, so he’s supposed to warn my at least 5 days before a storm should potentially get to us. This gives me a head start and I’m not fighting anyone at the store/pumps.
Vehicles
- Fuel // Top your tank off. I don’t care if we got fuel 2 days ago and only went 1 place, go top it off.
- Clean // Nothing major, that’s not the point. Quick run through to grab random cups and trash.
- Stock // Got a kid? Baby? Make sure that you have 1-2 spare diapers, some wipes, and anything else that might make life easier.
Yard
- Pick up // Wind is potentially going to blow things everywhere. Pick up the toys and anything else that will easily be blown away.
- Grass // Who knows when you’ll have time to cut the grass again. If you’ve got some spare time, do a quick mow/weed eat.
- Ditches // Make sure nothing large is in your ditch or around culverts on your property that could obstruct the flow of rain water.
- Flowers & Garden // If anything needs support, make sure it’s taken care of. Does something need to be moved? Do it or at least make a plan.
Home
- Laundry // There’s always the potential to lose power and your generator might not run your laundry situation. Just go ahead and get it done now. If the storm isn’t here yet, keep up with it. Now you’re set to keep up with it. A load a day is a great thing to start now!
- Dishes // Get ALL dishes done. Keep up with them as you go. No one wants to be out of power and have to hand wash last week’s dishes. Not a bad idea to add disposable dinnerware to your list.
- Clean // Just a quick clean of each room is good. I promise it’s worth it.
- Sheets // Wash those sheets. It just adds some extra comfort when you’re miserable.
- Fridge // Clean out your fridge. (Keep reading about stocking it back)
- Trash // Get all your trash picked up ASAP. If the storm is coming before your pick up time, get everything into cans and strap the lid down. You DO NOT want trash blown through your yard!
Animals
- Food // Just make sure you have enough for 1-2 weeks. Even if a storm does nothing, it’s better to be prepared. And if a storm does hit, it’s one less thing to be worried about.
- Shelter // Make sure that pens, fences, coops, etc are secure.
- Collars // If a storm is hitting, keep collars and tags on animals, just in case. Make sure you have leashes handy in case you have to evacuate.
- Water // Fill up waterers ahead of time. Keep them filled. Have a back up plan.
Food
- Fridge // You already cleaned it out. Now you need to stock it. Your fridge and freezer work better if they are stocked. Items keep other items cold.
- Drinks // Milk. Water. Lemonade. Tea. Juice. More water. Fill them up.
- Snacks // Have snacks already made so that cooking doesn’t need to be done. That just needs power or dish washing. Ideas…Muffins, cookies, fruits, veggies, cheese, chips, gummies, etc.
- Meals // Pre-make anything that you might need. Currently for me this includes making sure we have items to make sandwiches, mac & cheese, pretzels, pancakes frozen, salads, breakfast casseroles, and more. Soup or gumbo is also a good option as you can mostly easily reheat it.
- Kid Stuff // Pouches are a great addition to your stock! But make sure you think about them too.
- Freezer // If nothing else, get some bags of ice. Fill it up so it stays cold. Power goes out? Don’t open it or do it really quickly.
- Popsicles
- Meat // If you have a grill, this is the easiest way to cook without heating your home. Stock up on meat and you can use this during power outages and football season too!
Stocking Up
- Personally, I walk through our home at the end/beginning of the month and see what needs to be restocked. This makes it one (or potentially 10+) less thing that you’ll need to worry about when your weather turns rough.
- Must Haves // Toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, batteries, baby wipes. Even if you don’t have kids, 1-2 packs of baby wipes is a great thing to have stocked.
Entertainment
- Devices // Keep them charged. If you need to download something new, do it!
- Books // Make sure to put a couple in the closet space.
- Board Games & Puzzles // Have at least 1 to entertain the family in case of power outage. Then make it a family game night after that. It’s a great chance to teach kids fun new things.
Important Things
- Get important documents stored and off the ground
- Back up phones and computers
Storm Preparations
- Safe space // It might be your bathroom or a closet or laundry room, whatever it is make sure that everyone could fit. Make sure there’s a working flashlight and maybe a battery powered fan in there.
- Generator // If you have a generator, you should test it BEFORE the storm comes. Make sure your machine has gas/oil or whatever it needs.
- I hate to say this but it happens, you might need to make sure you have a way to secure your generator so no one steals it.
- Window Air Conditioner or Portable Unit // Wise investment depending on how many times your power goes out. We used ours a bunch in our old house, but thankfully haven’t had to use it since moving.
- Fans // Trust me.
- Flashlights, Lanterns, & Batteries // Great to have on hand!
- First Aid Kit // Another item that is great to have on hand.
Stay Safe
- This doesn’t necessarily mean stay, sometimes staying safe means going. Be smart. Most of the time there’s warning. Grab what’s important, board up your house and GO!
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