I have lived through a hurricane, and while it did not destroy our house, or even flood it severely, the aftershocks were brutal. Blistering heat (up to 97 degrees), and humidity easily 95%-100% caused a severe dehydration which was a problem, along with loss of power for two weeks minimum from an unprepared electric company which was forced to commandeer trucks from all over the U.S. to keep up with its minimum power restoration quota. although we had to tough it out, we survived easily enough on the following facts: Surviving a hurricane boils down to two main points, necessities such as food and water and survival gear. tools like a first aid kit, some gasoline (hopefully ones car is still there), an emergency radio (two way or not) and if one thinks like me and my family a gas generator.
First and foremost, one must have food and water.Without food one would starve, or it would become easier to succumb to sicknesses that find the now very humid and more often than not hot atmosphere very pleasing for their activities. my suggestion to deal water is to keep the water somewhere sturdy, say, a bathtub. It sounds silly, but the bathtub is waterproof, and anchored to the ground fairly well. If one has bought water in the form of bottled water, place the containers somewhere where they will not get blown around or broken. Food is the more difficult to save. Unless one is going through a weak category one hurricane it is likely his/her power would go out, meaning everything in ones fridge(s) will go rotten fast, so don’t count on the fridges to supply one with food.
The best option to use would be a barbecue, which would be stowed somewhere the hurricane wouldn’t flood it, or blow it away. Stock up on plenty of canned, or packaged goods. These could easily put into a pot and cooked on a grill/barbecue supplying one with food that will not spoil easily and, although it will taste different than normal, a food source to rely on. Also, if one has any good friends close to them (to conserve ones gas), or good neighbors DO NOT be afraid to trade. Trading provides both people involved with something, and during the time after a hurricane, more often then not it is something you both need. you could trade a gallon of gas for some cans of food, so long as it seems a fair trade.
Near paramount to food is survival gear. Many people who survive a hurricane cannot keep contact with the outside world, making loved ones frightened for one’s life. the solution to this? a cell phone. Keeping portable, battery powered devices handy allows for many a thing their larger plug-in counterparts cannot do during a black out. I myself, kept a game-boy (for entertainment purposes), and a cellphone on me whenever I was in the house (just the cellphone when out). If a cellphone is out of reach, keep a emergency radio available. These handy little devices will keep one up to date on many things, including points near one’s location where they could be handing out fresh food, water, and ice.
Keeping in touch is vital in times of crisis. My family purchased two flashlights that doubled as radios, all that needed to be done was a little cranking, then it worked as if it had just received new batteries. We listened to the radio, for both entertainment, and to keep in touch with the news until we got the generator plugged in (or when the generator ran out of gas). Bringing me to my last points of survival gear, Gas and a generator. Our generator was able to plug into many things due to its large power output. It guzzled 5 gallons of gas withing somewhere near 3-4 hours. We plugged ours into two TVs and a fan, but it seemed capable of much more. I would strongly recommend a gas powered generator to anyone who can afford it. Also, keep around a couple jugs of gas at all times, it could come in more handy than one would think. it is very difficult to gather gas near time of a hurricane strike, and deliveries of gas are few and far between after the strike, so sales are usually limited.
One more thing before I close this up, another do not thing. DO NOT be afraid to call about insurance. My mother, who was questioning if she should or not found she could receive compensation for all the lost food in her fridge. she got $750 for each fridge and freezer full of food she had in her house. That was overcompensation and the extra went to paying off the gas we had gathered after the storm, and it paid it near full. Purchasing a insurance policy that protects from hurricane damage/ long term power outages can be very helpful in keeping that hard earned money from going to waste because of mother nature.
That’s all I have to say. I gave what I could from my own personal experience these tips seemed best, I hope it helps someone in the future
