Hurricane Season Tips

Tips for before, during, and after the storm by a Florida native who's actually experienced the intensity and destructive power of hurricanes.

Hurricane Prep:

In Florida, hurricane seasons run from June 1st through November 30th each year.

Florida has a lot of great resources for storm prep, including checklists, which are provided at the end of this post. The tips below are things that we’ve actually used and found to be very helpful before during, and after a storm.

Getting Ready - Anytime

  • Get a generator and fuel cans – These can be acquired at any time off season. Note that generators should be used to power essentials only. Most models aren’t designed to run your AC. The amount of fuel you’d burn through is significant and would quickly deplete your fuel supplies.
    • IMPORTANT: NEVER EVER RUN A GENERATOR INSIDE, MAKE SURE IT IS AT LEAST 20 FEET AWAY FROM ANY OPENING (I.E. Windows or doors) WHILE RUNNING
  • Identify a staging area for supplies – This should be an area reserved for emergency supplies only, so everyone knows where to find things quickly if needed.
  • Conduct a risk assessment – Walk around the household to identify areas at risk and develop a plan of action to mitigate prior to hurricane season.
  • Get an emergency radio – We have a hand crank radio, but battery-operated models work too.
  • Save water/milk jugs (be sure to clean out milk jugs thoroughly before reusing). These can be refilled with clean drinking water for later use.
    • We have a deep freezer and will fill the jugs up about ¾ full and put them in the freezer. This can help keep food cold and can serve as drinking water once thawed.
  • Get a first aid kit if you don’t already have one.
  • Get a manual can opener if you don’t already have one.
  • Get a large cooler or several smaller ones to keep things cool during power outages.
    • This also prevents you from going in and out of the refrigerator while the power is out.
  • Get a standalone deep freezer – Not essential, but very helpful.
  • Get backup chargers for electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, tablets, etc.)
  • Get to know your neighbors. You never know how important this can be later.

About a month prior to hurricane season:

Stock up on emergency supplies

  • Drinking water – In addition to the jugs mentioned above.
  • Food (that can be prepared without electricity), snacks (for those like me who are stress eaters).
    • These items should be left alone for emergency purposes only. They can be consumed once hurricane season passes to be replenished in the future.
  • Entertainment – Board games, deck of cards, puzzle books (things that can keep you occupied while the power is out)
  • Batteries and power supplies – Make sure you have what you need to power your devices.
  • Flashlights & battery-operated lanterns – These are great to have bedside or leave in the bathroom while the power is out.
  • Bug repellent spray
  • Bug killer spray
    • I’m more referring to wasps, hornets, and stinging things. Fire Ants are also a hazard after a storm passes.
  • Garbage bags
    • Large trash bags as well as kitchen size bags
      • Not only good for personal garbage, but can be used to store things that you don’t want to get wet such as clothing, blankets, pillows, etc.
    • Screening
      • When there is no power, there’s no AC, and it gets hot. Keeping windows and doors open is one of the few ways of keeping cool. Having extra screening around is handy for keeping out the bugs while letting air flow.
    • Plastic storage containers
    • Ziplock bags in a variety of sizes
    • Matches
    • Paper/plastic goods (Paper plates/bowls, paper/ plastic cups, plastic utensils, paper towels, toilet paper)
    • Baby wipes
      • If you’re on well water, once the power goes out the water stops flowing. Having these handy helps with keeping hands and faces clean.
    • General household tools for emergency repairs or to shut off utilities

During hurricane season:

  • Maintain at least 1/2 tank of fuel in all vehicles.
    • Even if not in an area that has been hit directly by a storm, any landfalling storm in the state could disrupt fuel distribution for a time.
    • Have at least one full can of fuel

5 Days prior to a storm:

SCENARIO: A storm is forecast to make landfall in the next five days and you’re in the cone.

  • Top off and fill up fuel cans.
  • Test generator
  • Tidy up the yard and trim back bushes and anything that could become flying debris. Be mindful of yard waste pick-up dates. You want to ensure any debris gets hauled away prior to the storm’s arrival.
  • Double check emergency supplies and replenish anything that is running low.
  • Double check medication supplies and refill prescriptions if needed.
  • Start making ice and put it in freezer bags to be stored in the freezer. A standalone deep freeze is great for this.

3 Days or less prior to a storm:

SCENARIO: You’re still in the cone, and the forecast continues to hone in on your area.

Keep in mind that storm conditions can still be extreme outside of the cone. Rain bands spread out and they bring with them intense winds and rain. These feeder bands can be just as destructive as near the storm’s center and can be quite surprising to those who’ve never experienced tropical weather. Landfalling storms tend to spawn tornados, especially areas that sit within the right front quadrant. This is also referred to as the dirty side of the storm.

You’ll need to make some decisions at this point. How strong is the storm? How close are you to water and is there a risk of flooding? If you had to leave, would there be a route to safety? It’s at this point where you should decide whether you’re going to stay put and ride it out or escape to a safer location. Waiting until the last minute to escape could leave you stuck in traffic, which is not the place you want to be when a storm rolls through. Emergency services are extremely limited while the storm is raging, so if you get yourself into trouble, you’ll be on your own until the worst of the weather passes.

Whatever you decide, the following steps should be taken to secure your home and belongings.

  • Secure outside furniture, grills, equipment, etc. The garage can be a good place to store outdoor items if there is room. You might want to wipe things off first to ensure you don’t bring any unwanted critters into the house.
  • Cover windows and openings – Put up shutters, window panels, plywood, etc. to ensure anything with glass is protected. Those with hurricane windows may opt to skip this step. Older sliding doors may need additional support to prevent the wind from rattling them around in their tracks. Generally, door stoppers or security braces are enough to do the trick, but you should still cover the window to protect the glass from flying debris.
  • Fuel up vehicles, propane tanks, etc. If power is out for some time, it might not be easy to find gas. Propane for gas grills is good to have on hand for post storm meals.
  • Bug out bags. Depending upon severity of the storm, you might want to have individual bug out bags packed if you decide to ride it out at home. Each bag should contain a fresh change of clothes, and personal supplies, snacks, medication, etc., but should be lightweight enough if for any reason you need to leave quickly. Packed bags can be kept with emergency supplies and should be easy to grab and go.
  • Waterproof containers. If you have waterproof containers like Rubbermaid, they are extremely useful for keeping essentials dry. Insurance paperwork, & important documents can be easily stored here, as well as important mementos. If you don’t have a waterproof container available, putting your documentation in a sealed Ziplock bag and placing it the fridge or dishwasher to keep things dry could work as an alternative should you find yourself in a flooding situation.
  • Fill up a bathtub with water and have a bucket nearby. This can be useful for flushing toilets if needed. Obviously not for drinking or cooking. 
  • Other considerations. I usually give the house a thorough cleaning and do all of the laundry prior to the storm’s arrival as well. If the power is out for extended amount of time, you’ll really appreciate having a clean house and fresh clothing to tide you over.  

Storm Arrival:

The storm has nearly arrived, and all you can do is hunker down and wait for it to pass. Before conditions deteriorate, now is a good time to do some last minute things before the power goes out. 

  • Fill up cooler(s) with ice. Have one for consumption, and another for keeping other items cool. (i.e., Lunchmeats, milk, beverages, etc.) This will prevent you from having to open the fridge when the power goes out and may keep your items fresh a bit longer.
  • Keep a level head and try not to panic at every sound. If your house is boarded up and you can’t see outside, it’s amazing what the imagination can do. While you have power, the TV is usually a good distraction, and great for tracking rain bands as they come through the neighborhood.
  • Once the power goes out, an emergency radio is usually good for keeping up with storm communications. Whatever you do, DO NOT start a generator at this point. Generators need to be well ventilated and outside. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer which unfortunately takes hundreds of lives every year. Once the storm passes, you can make use of a generator if needed, but the guidelines are at least 20 feet away from any house openings.
  • If water starts to seep in through the ceiling, it’s a common practice to poke a hole so that the water has somewhere to go. Buckets and pots are handy for collecting drips while the storm is raging outside.
    • We didn’t figure this out when Frances came through in 2004, and the weight of the water on top of the sheetrock caused the ceiling to cave in. My youngest daughter’s clearest memory was watching a big bubble expand in the living room ceiling while we were all huddled in the hallway. Trust me, it’s easier to patch a small hole than it is to replace all of the ceilings in the house. Lesson learned.
  • Don’t be fooled if it gets quiet.
    • The anatomy of a hurricane is such that the center of the storm itself can be quite calm. The eyewall, located just outside the center is the most violent part of the storm. This is where the strongest of the winds live and is usually the most destructive part of the storm. Spanning outside of the eyewall is a multitude of rainbands that spread out from the center to the very outskirts of the storm. While the storm is approaching, the outer bands will gradually start passing by. These tend to be mild at first, generating outbursts of wind and rain, but they pass rather quickly, and things become calm again. As the storm gets closer, these feeder bands will come through more frequently and can pack quite a punch, going from moderate calm one minute to a violent maelstrom in the next. The time between this ebb and flow will shorten as the center of the storm approaches until it seems there is no relief in sight. As the worst of the storm rages with a deafening roar, it will suddenly become completely silent.
    • It may be tempting to go outside during these quite moments. We certainly did it during Frances, but learned all too quickly how fast things could get ugly. Trust me, it’s better to stay inside and enjoy the quiet moments while you have it. You don’t want to be caught outside when the next wave hits, and the sudden drop in pressure just opening a door to get back inside could be hazardous to your home.
  • When the power goes out – Dos and don’ts.
    • Avoid going in and out of the refrigerator. The cold air keeping things fresh will disappear as soon as the door is opened. It’s best to keep things you know you’ll want in a cooler.
    • Flashlights, battery operated lamps are good for seeing in the dark.
      • I would avoid candles at this point. It’s all too easy during moments of stress to knock something over and then you’ll have a fire to contend with. As if the storm isn’t enough.
    • Turn on the emergency radio and stay informed.
    • Electronic devices can be used but try to reserve the batteries as much as possible. Back-up chargers are helpful, but if these are depleted, how will you communicate after the storm?
    • Stay together and find a safe location to wait things out. There’s some flexibility here while the storm isn’t all that bad, but as things become more violent, it’s best to stay together in an area away from windows and doors. Hallways and walk-in closets are generally good areas to convene. Bring some blankets & pillows for comfort.

After the Storm:

  • Once the storm passes and if you find yourself relatively unscathed, you might be tempted to venture out to get a lay of the land. Depending upon where you are relative to the storm’s landfall area, you should limit this to your own property. There may be downed powerlines, and everything is going to be wet. Remember, electricity and water don’t play well together.
    • We didn’t heed this rule after Frances in 2004, and just had to walk around the neighborhood. We suffered a lot of damage to our home and honestly, getting away from it was a relief, but it was short-lived. There were many in our immediate neighborhood that suffered worse than we did. Trees falling on houses, parts of roofs completely gone, metal sheds wrapped around trees. It was if a bomb went off in some areas. The entire neighborhood was without power, but fortunately there were no downed powerlines that we could see.
  • Assuming you limit yourself to your own property, and as long as it’s safe, you’ll want to check things out and evaluate any damage. Make note of anything that requires repair and be ready to address any immediate concerns using what resources you have on hand.
  • Unless an absolute emergency, it is NOT advisable to get in your car and drive around for the first few days after a storm. Emergency responders and technicians are trying to do their jobs at this point, and you being on the road will just get in their way. Downed trees, powerlines and flooded roads are all potential hazards. Best bet is to stay put if you can and give it a few days to allow emergency crews to complete initial repairs.
  • Assuming it’s not a direct hit by a major storm (Category 3 or better) the damage may be sporadic, but if the impact in your direct neighborhood is widespread, it is likely you’ll be without power for a couple of weeks. If your home is safe, be prepared to deal with the sound of generators for a while. It will take some time for local authorities to provide relief so having a plan in place ahead of time is essential. Getting to know your neighbors ahead of time can be invaluable. You never know how much help you’ll need in a disaster, or how much help you can provide to someone else who finds themselves in a bad way.
    • Of all the things we learned going through the storms in 2004, was how much a community can come together at times of uncertainty. After Frances came through, we were really in dire straits. The house still stood, but the damage inside made it unlivable. We had nowhere to go, and getting somewhere else was just not possible. A neighbor down the street whose kids played with ours let us stay for a few nights while we tried to get things in order. They watched over our kids while we tried to secure the house and put tarps up on the roof. Another neighbor brought us over mini pizza bagels they cooked up on their grill, while another donated tarps so we could finish covering the roof. People that had gone through the storm unscathed shared with those that didn’t. A family traveled street to street with a rolling cart giving out water bottles to those in need, teaching their children a valuable lesson about life and generosity. Another neighbor came around just to talk and give insight about where to go for supplies and assistance. It’s moments like these that give you hope amongst the crazy world we live in. 

Personal Takeaways:

We’ve been fortunate since 2004, although we’ve seen quite a few storms come through since then. The lessons that we learned from that experience were life changing, and taught us a great deal about being prepared, and how to be self sufficient when disaster strikes. The best advice we can share is to be prepared. Hurricane windows and doors are expensive and not everyone has the budget, but at the minimum, shutters or plywood will help protect glass openings. Supplies can also be costly, but essentials such as water, food, clothing, and safe harbor are necessary. Whatever you do, plan ahead and be prepared. It’s all part of the joys of living in paradise.

In a future post we will share more details about our experience with Hurricanes Frances & Jeanne. In the meantime, we hope these tips will help you be ready for whatever mother nature has in store during hurricane season.