Member
Resources - Hurricane Preparedness Checklist
Below is a list of some essential
things that should be done BEFORE a hurricane approaches your home
to protect you, your family and your possessions during a
hurricane. This list was compiled from various websites
regarding hurricane and natural disaster preparedness.
Emergency alert radios/weather
alert radios for advance warning of impending bad weather as
well as other local, state or national emergency warnings and
alerts.
Two extra sets (or more) of
batteries for each electronic device that requires them.
Rotate batteries every 12 months (or sooner if products are
used) to ensure a fresh charge when needed.
Wireless phone in case
land-line communications go out, as well as an extra phone
battery.
In-car wireless phone charger
in case you lose electrical power in your home.
Power inverter to allow you to
operate such things as laptop computers and battery chargers
from your car's power adapter in case you are displaced from
your residence.
Flashlights, extra bulbs and
batteries. LED flashlights provide comparable light and
require significantly less battery power. LED flashlights can
last hundreds of hours off one set of batteries.
Corded "land-line"
(wired) telephone to allow communication even if you lose
electrical power.
Surge protectors to help
protect expensive electronics and appliances during power
surges that are common during bad weather events.
Battery-operated television
and/or AM/FM radio to keep track of local news, closings and
alerts if the power goes out.
Short-wave radio for emergency
communication or for monitoring emergency channels.
GMRS/FRS 2-way radios to stay
in touch with friends and family in the surrounding area or
(with some models) even monitor NOAA weather information.
Video or digital still camera
to inventory home and personal property before and after an
emergency situation for insurance or recovery purposes.
Home security system back-up
batteries in case you lose power for an extended time.
ESSENTIALS FOR THE HOME
Home is where you can do the most
to be prepared. But remember that you are only home for about 1/2
of the hours in a day. You must also be prepared at work, and have
additional supplies in your car.
The water heater is strapped to the wall.
Know where to shut off
the water, power, and gas and have placed the tools at each
location.
Make sure your house
is bolted to its foundation.
Repair defective
electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential
fire risks. Brace overhead light fixtures.
Replace solid gas
lines with flexible lines on stoves, water heaters, and dryers.
Nail plywood on top of
ceiling joists inside the attic to protect people from chimney
bricks that could fall through the ceiling.
Anything that would
have fallen on someone's head has been secured to the wall.
Move the bleach and
ammonia to separate locations.
Know the unsafe
locations in the house.
Make an emergency plan
and know escape routes and meeting places.
Emergency lighting has
been installed in selected outlets.
Know the location of
the nearest police, fire station, and hospital.
Know which neighbors
have medical experience.
Talk with neighbors
about emergency preparedness.
Your neighbors have
keys to your house, and they know how to turn off your utilities.
Your neighbors also
have a list of your important phone numbers.
Your household has
conducted a home evacuation drill.
Your children know how
to get help from neighbors and 911.
Each family member
carries a family photo.
Evaluate what supplies
your family needs to store.
Have the proper amount
of water stored for emergency use.
Store emergency food
supplies.
Store cooking items
for emergency use.
Store emergency items
to use as shelter.
Have a first aid kit.
Store emergency
lighting equipment.
Have stored items to
keep in touch with the world.
Have positioned tools
that you will need in an emergency.
Store sanitation
supplies.
Store supplies for the
baby.
Stored misc. supplies
including money for emergency use.
Know your house:
Place a flashlight or an emergency light next to your breaker
panel.
Place a wrench in your
water meter box located near the street.
Place or attach a tool
on your gas meter for turning off the gas.
Evaluate each room in
your house. Ask yourself: what will fall on my head, or will keep
me from getting out if it fell? Secure anything you find.
Hang heavy items such
as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere
people sit.
Fasten shelves
securely to walls and place large or heavy objects on lower
shelves.
Store breakable items
such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets
with latches.
Store household
chemicals on a bottom shelf of a closed cabinet.
Never store bleach and
ammonia in the same cabinet. These chemicals when mixed, will
create a toxic gas as deadly as any ever created.
Identify the best and
worst places to be in your house. Remember that you might not have
any choice as to where you will be located when a disaster
strikes. The best places inside the house are under major beams
that are secured to the rest of the structure, or in strong
doorways, or inner structural walls. The worst places are in front
of windows, or near fireplaces and chimneys.
Make an emergency plan
including escape routes and meeting places. Choose both a nearby
meeting place and an out of state relative to be your check-in
contact for the family.
Test your emergency
plan with all members of the family present.
Plug emergency
lighting into selected outlets. These flashlights are constantly
charged, and turn on automatically when power fails, or the units
are unplugged.
Keep all tree and
shrub limbs trimmed so they don't come in contact with the wires.
Keep trees adjacent to
buildings free of dead or dying wood.
Store combustible or
flammable materials in approved safety containers and keep them
away from the house.
Install smoke
detectors on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.
Know your neighbors, and
neighborhood:
Contact your school district to obtain policy regarding how
children will be released from school.
Know the location of
the nearest police and fire stations, as well as the route to the
nearest hospital emergency room.
Meet with neighbors
and find out who has medical experience.
If you are taking this
preparedness thing seriously, share this information with the
households next to you. The more people you can convince to
prepare, the greater your group resources. Remember that you will
be called upon by all around you for help, especially by those who
didn't take warnings seriously.
Give spare keys to
your trusted neighbors. Show them where the utility shutoffs are
and provide them with a list of contact phone numbers.
Ask how to turn off
your neighbors utilities.
Teach your family:
Hold a home evacuation drill to test your emergency plan with all
members of the family present.
Teach your children
how to get help from neighbors and 911.
Keep photos of family
members in wallet in case they turn up missing.
Teach household
members how to turn off utilities.
In case family members
are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real
possibility during the day when adults are at work and children
are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
Ask an out-of-state
relative or friend to serve as the "family contact."
After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make
sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone
number of the contact person.
ESSENTIALS FOR THE OFFICE
Read your company's evacuation plan and know where to meet after
an emergency.
Know where exit
routes, stairways, fire extinguishers, and medical kits are
located.
Assemble supplies in a
single pack and have them stored in your desk. Along with your
supplies, store a pair of walking shoes.
Carry a list of
important phone numbers in your wallet.
Keep the area under
your desk free of waste-paper baskets, etc. This 6 square foot
area might be home for a few traumatic moments. If you are not at
your desk when something happens, don't count on being able to
make it back. Store additional supplies in your car (see below).
ESSENTIALS FOR THE CAR
Even if you are at home when a
disaster strikes, and your home is well stocked, you may still
need the supplies in your car when you have to evacuate at a
moments notice. Your house may not be safe to enter, or may catch
fire after a disaster like an earthquake.
Your car will be one of your most important resources after a
disaster strikes. Keep it mechanically sound, and pay close
attention to the exhaust system. A leaking exhaust system could
kill.
Always keep your gas tank full! Fill it when it reaches 1/2 a
tank. You will thank yourself the first time you are stuck in a
traffic jam in bad weather.
Think of your car's
trunk as a big steel supply cabinet. Keep your supplies in the
trunk along with other items like tools, jumper cables and spare
tire.
Keep the car
mechanically sound and ready to use.
Keep supplies in the
car for use in an emergency.
Replace your battery
every 3-4 years. In an emergency, your car battery will need to
run the radio and heater for extended periods.
Have a mechanic check the
following items on your car to keep it ready:
Battery
Antifreeze
Wipers and windshield
washer fluid
Ignition system
Thermostat
Lights and flashing
hazard
Exhaust system
Heater
Brakes
Defroster
Make sure the tires
have adequate tread
