10/07/2024
If a hurricane rolls through, you will likely lose power. That means NO ELECTRICITY (lights, garage door, stove, A/C, TV, fridge), NO INTERNET (connection to the outside world), NO WATER (toilet flush, drinking, showering/bathing). You'll be shocked what you'll try to do and then realize - oh, of course - no power.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #1
Do not eat anything shelf-stable right now… Eat only out of the fridge and freezer while it's working. This is not a time to be dieting! This food is what's going to go bad first if we lose power for an extended period. Right now, add a small jar with water, leaving room at the top – once it’s frozen, open the jar and add a coin, then return the jar to the freezer. If the power goes out and you’ve evacuated, when you return, the power may be back on, and you’ll not know if it has completely thawed and gone bad. If it did – the coin in the jar will be at the bottom.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #2
When stocking up on food, make sure it's shelf-stable and doesn't need cooking, like bread, canned beans, canned fruit, soups, pita chips, granola, etc. Most importantly, make sure you have a non-electric Can Opener! DO NOT eat these until AFTER you've worked through the fridge/freezer that is thawing/going bad.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #3
Get very on top of your laundry! Extended power outages have people generating dirty laundry at a record pace and you do not want to run out of clean underwear! Same goes for the dishwasher!
Hurricane Veteran Tip #4
DO NOT miss the garbage and recycling day before the hurricane… Be aggressive about clearing stuff out, especially in your garage, as you will desperately need the space to bring in your potted plants, lawn furniture, grills, umbrellas, birdbaths, etc. One of the things I really love about hard-core hurricane prep is that in driving around, you see huge piles of what is now garbage from people realizing how much sh*t they have that is old, disgusting, and worthless that they've been holding onto. Sometimes you need a good storm to clean things up!
Hurricane Veteran Tip #5
Get the coconuts cut out of palm trees. Typically, we love them, but during a wind event they are more like launched cannon balls.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #6
Get an old-school corded landline telephone. They are not powered by electricity and will continue to work when the power is down.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #7.
Get yourself a grill and charcoal with lighter fluid and a lighter. If you have a grill and it needs propane- GO GET IT! There will be no hot water for a while if we lose power. You'll be very grateful, I promise!
Hurricane Veteran Tip #8.
Lower the water in your pool by a couple of feet to help absorb the excess water. DO NOT drain your pool- it will pop out of the ground! Flip the breaker off as well to avoid any water/electric issues that can occur with the storm.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #9
Put patio furniture in the garage. DO NOT throw your patio furniture into the pool to keep it safe from the wind—the movement of the water caused by the wind will chew up the bottom of the pool, requiring refinishing.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #10
Collect your assorted storage buckets and place them in the bathroom next to the toilets filling them full with tap water to be used when the power goes out to flush the toilet. Also, as the weather starts getting bad take your last shower and then fill the bathtub and all the sinks but one so you have water for washing your face, rinsing dishes, etc.
Hurricane tip # 11
The grocery stores and gas stations will keep restocking at least daily, sometimes more often, up until the last minute, so if you couldn't find water yesterday, keep checking and be patient… And BE NICE. We are all dealing with the same storm!
Hurricane Veteran Tip #12
If you are evacuating and the address on your driver’s license or vehicle registration doesn't match where you live, law enforcement may not let you back to your house. Bring a utility bill with you or go onto your county's tax website and download/print your tax bill.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #13
Do you have a ceiling fan on your porch? If so, take your blades off it. It won't withstand the winds.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #14
DO NOT use your dishwasher to store pictures and documents – it is NOT watertight – it’s actually one of the main causes of water damage inside the home- Because it is not watertight.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #15
Be sure to have a manual key to an exterior door of your house. The automatic garage door will not work if the power goes out while you’re away.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #16
Pool cages will bend and twist in high winds, and screens will rip. Create a path of least resistance and consider removing the doors or even some of the screen panels from your enclosure or cut an “x” in them. As the storm approaches, you’ll have to decide whether this is an option. Replacing a few screens is far cheaper than a whole cage.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #17
From here on, keep all of your devices on chargers at all times so that when the power goes out, you are charged. Then, immediately put everything required on low power mode and close ALL apps to conserve. Turn them off when not using them and overnight. If you have external battery packs for devices, get them charged now. If you don’t have backup battery packs, go get them.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #18
Get gallon jugs of water and put them in the freezer – it will help keep the freezer and fridge cold when the power has gone out. If room is tight, keep as many regular water bottles in the freezer as you can.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #19
Get packs of wet wipes for hygiene. Cleanup after a storm is hard and dirty and most likely will happen without power. A fresh wet wipe for your face and hands to help keep you going is a delight!
Hurricane Veteran Tip #20
Stop every time your car has room to get gas, as you may be told to evacuate, and there will be lines.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #21
If you own an electric car – move it to higher ground. If it is in your garage, DO NOT leave it plugged in – it can set your home on fire in a flooding event.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #22
If you know your phone is going to die but all is well otherwise, change your voicemail to say you are OK but out of power and will get back when you can.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #23
In addition to the flashlights - get an LED headlamp, it's the only way you can really do stuff with two hands.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #24
Get cash, ATMS wont work and neither will Credit card processing machines
Hurricane Veteran Tip #25
If you have a top-load washing machine - it can be used as a cooler in a power outage, just fill with ice.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #26
Know your evacuation zone!
Visit http://FloridaDisaster.org/Know to learn if your home is in an evacuation zone & NOW!
Visit http://FloridaDisaster.org/EvacuationOrders to see if your county is evacuating.
Hurricane Veteran Tip #25
Get a 110 Car power inverter for your car to charge devices - if your car has a "lighter" socket.
Hurricane Veteran Tip for PETS
Put pieces of sod in a kiddie pool and put it in your garage. You have a safe place for your dogs to potty during the storm. Never let dogs off leash into the yard during the storm, dogs get easily spooked during hurricanes and may take off, scaling even a large fence. Also, fences and gates are easily knocked open/over during hurricanes. Keep your pets safe and secured. Please do not take your dog outside during the height of the storm. If it's not safe for you to be outside, it's not safe for them. Also, if you are evacuating, please take your animals with you. There are plenty of resources out there to help!
If you are irresponsible enough not to take your pets with you when evacuating (no reason for this – there are innumerable services for support – DO NOT crate them. They will have no opportunity to try and survive a flooding event.
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Erika Montañez, Your Realtor
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