Hurricane Preparedness ⋆ Vintage Mountain Homestead

Hurricane Preparedness: How to be more prepared for natural disasters.

Moving to Florida for college gave me more than an institutional education. It handed me a crash course in real-life lessons I never expected to learn. Hurricane preparation, for instance, quickly became second nature, especially since the season stretches from June all the way to December. That’s half the year spent keeping one eye on the weather and the other on your emergency supplies. I still remember the first time a serious storm approached. I stacked every belonging I owned on top of my built-in dorm desk. I hoped to keep things safe from potential flooding. I placed everything as high as I could manage. Then, I grabbed what I needed. I locked the door behind me and swiftly left the area. Those moments felt chaotic at the time. However, they taught me resilience and resourcefulness. They also taught me the odd but invaluable skill of hurricane-proofing a college dorm room.

Later in life, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. It felt safer than living along the exposed Atlantic coast of Florida. However, I quickly realized that I wasn’t completely out of harm’s way. Hurricanes may strike the Carolina coast first. They don’t stop there. Many of them track straight inland, cutting right through the state on their way north. By the time they reach Charlotte, they’ve usually weakened, but they still bring an impressive amount of rain and wind. Storms can linger for hours. They soak the ground and bend trees. These storms remind everyone that hurricane season doesn’t just belong to the coastline. Even though the danger isn’t as intense as it is on the shore, those storms are still powerful. You must pay close attention every time a system forms out in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Florence hit us hard in 2018. In just under two days, it dumped a staggering 12 inches of rain across my area. This turned familiar streets into rushing streams. Low-lying fields became sprawling lakes. The sheer volume of water overwhelmed everything. Bridges and major roads were shut down for safety. Some were completely washed out or destroyed. This left entire neighborhoods cut off from the rest of the city. With the infrastructure strained beyond its limits, power outages spread quickly. They lingered, sometimes for days and even weeks in the hardest-hit spots. Boil water advisories became a normal part of daily life. They reminded us just how fragile our systems can be when nature decides to push back. The storm left a lasting mark on the landscape. It changed the way we prepare for hurricanes today. It also altered how we understand them.

With all my experience, I have created a simple checklist. This checklist helps me prepare for a disaster like a hurricane.

Clean the house from top to bottom. More than likely, you will be stuck in the house for a few days and will lose power. Don’t you want to be in a clean house, vs a messy one that you have no electricity to clean?
- Vacuum all carpets and floors thoroughly.
- Wash all dishes and clean out the sink.
- Clean out the fridge by throwing away old food you won’t eat. Eat up any food also or pre-cook meals to have after and during the storm.
- Wash all laundry to have clean clothes for a few days.
Stock up on liquids and nonperishable foods.
- Bottled water for drinking, cooking, and washing. I save all my older plastic gallon water jugs. I fill them up from the sink before the storm. That way, I save money.
- Alcohol to pass the time if that is something for you. Remember, stores will most likely be closed days after the storm.
- Nonrefrigerated milk or juices for the kids and adults to change it up from boring water.
Charge all electronic devices before the power goes out.
- Charging things like battery backups, cell phones, computers, and emergency radios are essential for emergencies. Try not to use your cell if you don’t need to that way your battery lasts.
- Hopefully, it is sunny before the storm to charge any solar lanterns or flashlights.
Fill up at the gas station.
- Fill up all your cars and trucks with gas for easier transportation options, if needed. Gas is sometimes hard to come by after a devastating hurricane.
- Fill up any generators with gas or have a good stockpile of gas cans filled up for that what-if scenario.