Hurricane preparations do not have to break your budget.
Although most people who have lived in a coastal area for any length of time already have their hurricane supplies ready at all times, those who are new to the area must start from scratch. If you have a limited budget, pulling together the items you need can seem daunting. The good news is, hurricanes take time to develop and make landfall, so you have plenty of time, even if it is already hurricane season.
Instructions
1. Fill clean, empty plastic coffee containers with water and place them in your freezer as a source of clean drinking water and to help keep your freezer cold during power outages because of storm damage. Keep 3 to 7 gallons of clean drinking water per person in your pantry, in clean plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, to provide the three-day to seven-day supply recommended by the National Hurricane Center.
2. Place one or more sanitized 55-gallon plastic drums or 30-gallon plastic trash barrels or storage bins with tight-fitting lids on the lee side of your home, as close to the outside wall as possible, filled with clean water to use for washing or for flushing toilets. The lee side is the side away from the oncoming storm.
3. Flush and scrub all your drums, barrels or bins with hot water and dish liquid and rinse well. Sanitize them with bleach, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol or vinegar. Rinse well three to five more times before filling them with water. Do not use plastic drums, trash barrels or bins that have held any toxic chemicals.
4. Collect all deadfall in your yard and trim bushes and trees to remove any dead or broken branches. Chip or burn all the yard trimmings. Deadfall and broken branches can become projectiles in a storm.
5. Check your home and any outbuildings for loose shingles or siding. Fix any problem areas or remove them until after the storm passes.
6. Measure all windows and sliding doors for plywood sheathing, if you do not already have shutters. Recover plywood from construction sites whenever it is available. Cut it to the measurements you need and mark each piece so you know which window or door it is supposed to cover.
7. Buy drywall screws any time you see them at a garage sale or flea market. Use them instead of nails when you sheath your doors and windows. Drywall screws resist stripping when used to secure plywood because their threads are deeper than other screws.
8. Combine coupons, customer appreciation discounts, sales and rebates at pharmacies and grocery stores to purchase hygiene items such as bleach, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, personal wipes, rubber gloves and disinfectants at the lowest possible price. Purchase one extra hygiene item every payday and store it with your hurricane kit.
9. Collect aluminum cans or other recyclable metals to get the money to purchase a crank-style or solar-powered radio and crank-style or "shake" flashlights, even though they cost more up front, so that you will not have to buy or store batteries.
10. Buy one extra can or waterproof package of your favorite meats, fruits, vegetables and soups every time you shop and store them in your hurricane kit. Include ready-to-drink juices, milk or milk substitutes and any items for needed for family members with special dietary needs.
11. Store one day's dose of each medication per week until you have a total of a three-day to seven-day supply of each medication you or family members need in a separate plastic zipper bag for each of them. Label each person's bag clearly with the name of the individual, the name and strength of the medication, the dosage, the time of day it is taken and the route of administration.
12. Fill a 1-gallon gas can each time you stop for gasoline. Pour the gasoline into a 5-gallon or larger gas can and store it until you are ordered to evacuate. This ensures that you will have enough gas for your vehicle without a large expense all at once.
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