Things You'll Need:
- Ziplock freezer bags
- Suitcases
- Prescriptions
- Important papers (home, mortagages, rentals, loans, school papers, any medical records, school report cards, etc)
- Contact information of friends and relatives (email and phone)
- Toiletries
- Clothes
- Gas
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Step 1
First, start preparing BEFORE hurricane season. Be sure to have a collapsible file folder that you can quickly grab. It should have copies of any important papers (loans, mortgages, insurance information, health information, medical records, copies of past prescriptions, your child's school records and reports, back ups of any important information that might be stored on your desktop, etc). Constantly keep this folder up-to-date and ready. Also keep a record of your credit cards and the phone numbers to contact them in the event of an emergency.
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Step 2
Check with your bank- find out if there are other branches outside of the state.
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Step 3
When a hurricane watch is announced, start making small preparations. Take all food out of the freezer and place in a ziplock freezer bag. You don't even have to seal them. Just place them in there for the time being. Trust me on this. Ask any New Orleanian about post-Katrina recovery and you are sure to hear refrigerator horror stories- weeks without electricity = really horrid smells.
If an evacuation is called, then just zip the bags shut and move them into a garbage bag in the freezer before you leave, your task of emptying the freezer will be easy as (spoiled) pie.
Another helpful hint is to fill up one ziplock bag with ice cubes or popsicle. You can instantly tell that you lost electricity for an extended period of time if there is a hard block instead of formed cubes/popsicles. -
Step 4
During the watch, keep an eye on the news. Don't panic. Make a plan for evacuating based on where the storm is predicted to hit (the direction from which it hits makes a difference on where you should evacuate to).
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Step 5
During a watch, start creating a list of medications, pet supplies, and other necessities. If you have children, consider a trip to the dollar store or toy store to grab a few new and fun things to keep them occupied both in traffic and in a hotel room (car games, DVDs, toy cars, colors and drawing pads are all great). Talk to them about the threat and let them know that you will keep them safe. Allow older kids to pick out some favorite clothes or belongings to take. Remember, this isn't a vacation, there is a chance you won't be able to return home at all.
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Step 6
Once the watch turns into a warning, it's time to step up your action. Board up your windows and pick up yard furniture, toys, and anything that can become a flying projectile. Start gathering clothes, medical items, toiletries, pillows, blankets, and other necessities. Be sure you have hotel reservations or a definite place to stay. If you have a pet, make sure the hotel accommodates guests with pets. Many times, during an evacuation circumstance, hotels that don't normally allow pets will make an exception. Don't forget pet food, meds, crate, bed, and a favorite toy or two.
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Step 7
Contact family, neighbors, and friends and update telephone numbers and email addresses. Be sure you have these written down and programmed into your cell phone.
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Step 8
Move everything that is important to you off the floor in case of flooding. Use ziplock bags to store photos and other precious items. The higher you can store them, the better chance they have of surviving a flood situation.
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Step 9
Once voluntary evacuation begins, load your car. Be sure you have a full tank, a set of road tools, and your spare tire. Check online for road closures, recommended evacuation routes, detours, etc. Find at least three ways to reach your destination (including one that ventures off the interstate or main highway).
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Step 10
Plan on traffic. Don't panic or become frustrated.
