Jan NorrisSmart moves now will save you time.
Editor’s note: For years, Stet writer Jan Norris advised Palm Beach Post readers on how to prepare for a hurricane. This year, she updated her list of essentials to give Stet readers some ideas.
Make your hurricane plans, with lists, now. You’ll be ready when they’re needed.
Remember the things you wished you had in the last storm and order them today. (Battery-operated fans were No. 1 in my survey.)
Even in a minimal storm, you could be without electricity for a while. Stores, including pharmacies and restaurants, will be closed.
The worst case is that your home suffers flooding or severe wind damage, and you’ll be displaced for a much longer period. Supplies will be limited.
To stay and ride it out, have communication resources (hand-cranked radio, battery-operated TV) to stay informed throughout.
Do not rely on cell phones or the Internet.
Know your risks: Emergency crews may not be able to respond during the worst of the storm. The evacuation window will close as the storm approaches. Leave if and when told to do so.
Prepare a safe room: an inside closet or bathroom away from windows with pillows and tarps.
To stay in a shelter, know which shelters are available near you and register in advance. More information is here.
Of note: County officials advise that staying in a shelter should be a last resort – only if it’s not possible to stay home, in a nearby hotel or with family or friends.
If a pet-friendly or special-needs or handicapped shelter is needed, locate it well beforehand and register.
People with special needs can contact FPL to register for help with essential medical equipment that relies on electricity.
Get the list of what to bring from the shelter. Bring your own pillows and blankets. Comfort tip: A sleeping bag or yoga mat makes cots more comfortable.
Don’t forget a pet crate is needed for pet shelters.
Secure your home before leaving, and have a person available to check on it for you.
To evacuate, plan well ahead. Public transportation and airlines fill rapidly, and stop at a certain point before the storm.
Book rooms well away from the storm’s path. Some are pet-friendly; others accept pets in crates.
Leave 12 hours before you think it’s necessary to go, especially if driving. Airports and roads north are packed.
If driving, map two routes: Main highways, and back road alternates. Tip: From South Florida, U.S. 27/441 often is less crowded than I-95, Florida’s Turnpike, or I-75.
Keep the gas tank topped off. Smaller stations run out of gas just before a storm.
Pack the car with food, water, pet food bowls and comfort bedding, as you may need to sleep in your car. Take kids’ favorite toys. (Pack toilet paper, and two rolls of paper towels — one dry, one wet in a plastic bag — and hand sanitizer for washups.)
For all scenarios above, have IDs and family contacts with numbers on your person (and pet) at all times.
General advice
- Copy all important papers (deeds, titles, passports, birth and death certificates, military and medical records, passwords to financial accounts and computer, and phone contacts), keep in a waterproof container. Store originals off site.
- Backup your computer.
- Store valuables off site.
- Take a comprehensive video of the outside of your house (roof, too) and indoors (open closets, cabinets and drawers). Store it in the cloud, or on a thumb drive off site.
- Fill all medications in advance, keeping a minimum two-week supply.
- Have a main family contact person so everyone can communicate through them.
Taking care outside
- Secure all items around the outside of the house. Put away or tie down things that will fly in a storm. Trim trees, especially those that could fall on the house.
- Have storm shutters or plywood and bolts easily accessible.
- Take videos of the outside and inside for insurance purposes.
Helpful tools
- Have a tool bag that’s easily accessible. (A drill and bit for shutter bolts is a lifesaver.)
- Have work gloves and duct tape.
- Have contractor (construction weight) plastic bags on hand. They serve as tarps if slit open and waterproof containers for small appliances, small chests and other items.
- Have 5-gallon buckets with lids as waterproof containers. Use also as a go-bag for the car.
· Sandbags are available at home stores, and usually will be made available by coastal towns. Old pillowcases work in a pinch. Tape an opened contractor bag to the door a foot above the bottom; pack the bags tightly against it.
Indoor tips
- Wash all laundry now and vacuum while you have electricity. Clean litter boxes.
- Check your generator, and have extra oil and gas for it.
- Clean and fill the bathtub with water for flushing toilets and casual clean-ups.
- Strapped on headlamps leave hands free.
- Motion-sensor lighting strips, battery operated, are great for hallways and under beds.
- Battery-operated lanterns with USB outlets are lifesavers.
- Extra batteries are a must.
· * Warning: Do not use candles or kerosene lamps without glass chimneys or shields. Always extinguish when leaving the room.
- Battery-operated fans or portable AC units (if you have a generator) are big comforts on hot nights.
- Phone chargers, solar and car, are useful.
- Solar-powered lights brought indoors are great for bathrooms and showers.
Storm kitchen strategies
- Just before a storm, turn the freezer and refrigerator to the coldest setting. Remember to return them to normal after the storm.
- Pare down freezer contents in summer, but fill it before a storm by freezing water for ice in milk jugs and later drinking. Keep it closed by using coolers for most-used items.
- Keep plain frozen vegetables with no sauces, and frozen fruit (peas, beans, carrots, peaches). When thawed they can be eaten raw.
- Avoid seafood and large meat cuts. Cook off large meats in soups and stews that can freeze in smaller portions.
- Put ice blocks on top shelf of the refrigerator once power goes out. Leave door closed as much as possible.
- Have alternate cooking methods: a propane or charcoal grill, or butane burner. Buy extra fuel for each. (Warning: Do not use charcoal indoors.)
- Have large coolers and use ice blocks in them to keep perishables cold. (Note: These won’t keep frozen foods longer than two days, in most cases. Yeti brand coolers tout longer storage.)
Flood protection: Clean out bottom cabinets and place contents in heavy, sealed plastic bags. Put all small appliances in heavy plastic bags on the countertop.
Comfort: A battery-operated blender. A milkshake or mock frozen Margarita can make things bearable.
Food and drink ideas
- Water is crucial. A week’s supply per person is the minimum required. Double it if you have room for it.
- Stock up on canned and jarred foods, focusing on nutrient-dense products: soups and stews, beans, fish, vegetables, fruits, nut butters. Buy foods your family will eat, however, and in small cans.
- Juices and water should be the main drinks. Avoid sodas, ultra-sweet sports or energy drinks, and alcohol.
- Shelf-stable milk, cheese, bacon, sausages and jerky can be used to add flavor to canned foods.
- Farm-fresh eggs (not refrigerated) are shelf-stable. Wash just before using and discard any cracked ones.
- Shelf stable condiment packets and hot sauces also add flavor.
- Avoid salty crackers, chips, popcorn and salty snacks. Choose nuts, protein bars, peanut-butter crackers, fruit roll-ups or fresh fruit.
- Some fresh produce is viable: Carrots, apples and watermelon will last on the counter for days and are kid-friendly. Bananas can be frozen and eaten or added to cereals. Lemons and limes will last a few days.
- Pickles and relishes, vinegar-based condiments don’t spoil. Warning: Use a clean spoon for each and don’t cross-contaminate.
- Bottled spices and herbs can make canned foods and jarred vegetables palatable. Small packets are available in some stores.
- A press-pot for coffee is smart.
- Ramen noodles and instant rice help create quick meals, combined with canned vegetables and beans.
- Packets of instant cocoa for kids is a comfort for them. Don’t forget mini-marshmallows.
- Shelf-stable puddings provide creamy sweet treats with some nutrition.
Children and pets
Storms are foreign to them. Explain what they’ll experience in age-appropriate ways.
Comfort kids with games and puzzles and favorite music as you wait. Have battery-operated night-lights available in their rooms.
Pets escape and run in fear during and after storms. Crate your pets if possible. Keep a collar on them with your ID.
For indoor “lawns,” get a square of grass from the garden store, and place it on a heavy plastic bag in a shower.
Staying with friends
If someone is kind enough to take you in, ask what you can bring. At minimum, bring your own pillows and linens. Bring your own chargers, and a lantern or two.
Offer food.
Check with them before bringing a pet; have a crate available.
Offer to come early to help them put up shutters, or secure their home.
Jan’s a journalist covering the South Florida dining scene for 30-plus years. (She knows where the bones and onion peels are buried.) She’s a Florida native, remembers the state pre-Disney, and travels frequently to visit family and friends from the Keys to the Panhandle.
