Prepare for a Hurricane

It is good practice to prepare for any emergency but, here in Wilmington, North Carolina, it is absolutely imperative to prepare for hurricanes. When it comes to hurricanes, there are distinct phases of the emergency that one must navigate: before, during, and after.

Before hurricane:

Naturally, preparing for a hurricane is the most important part of weathering the storm. Without appropriate supplies or training, making it through a good storm or handling the aftermath is substantially more dangerous and difficult.

Before hurricane - Secure your home:

  • Cover windows with storm shutters or plywood.

  • Bring outdoor items indoors. Be sure to segregate potentially hazardous items, such as gas cans and propane tanks, in an exterior closet or shed.

  • Trim your trees.

  • Know how to shut down your gas, electricity, or water in case of damage or evacuation.

  • Have a sump pump, minifridge, and chargers that can be run by a generator

  • Before hurricane - Prepare your home:

  • 2 Weeks of Food. Canned goods, dry goods, food bars, protein powder or other dehydrated food, and peanut butter or other high-calorie foods work well. Don’t forget a can opener.

    • GSD tip: Cliff Bars, Tortillas, Protein powder, Gatorade powder (electrolytes), Peanut butter M&Ms, Daily multivitamins. Instant coffee and a jetboil for emotional support. Whatever foods you choose to use, make sure they’re already somewhat regular parts of your diet. Switching to entirely new foods can end with many unfortunate trips to the bathroom.

  • Fuel

    • Gas for generator

    • Cooking fuel

    • GSD tip: Fill your car in advance.

  • 2 Weeks of Water

    • 1 gallon/person/day for drinking/food.

    • Cycle water stores every 6 months.

    • Sterilize water by boiling for 1 minute.

    • GSD tip: Immediately preceding a hurricane, sanitize sinks and tubs with 1 tsp bleach/qt of water solution. Let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse. Plug the tub and fill with tap water. DO NOT DO THIS DURING OR AFTER A HURRICANE as tap water may no longer be safe to drink.

  • Odorless chlorine bleach (so important it gets its own bullet point)

    • Use to sanitize surfaces (1 tsp bleach / 1 qt of water). Wait 30 minutes.

    • Use to sanitize water (⅛ tsp / 1 gal of water). Wait 30 minutes.

  • First Aid Kit (per Red Cross recommendations)

    • 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)

    • 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)

    • 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)

    • 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)

    • 5 antiseptic wipe packets

    • 1 emergency blanket

    • 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)

    • 1 instant cold compress

    • 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)

    • 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)

    • 1 3 in. gauze roll (roller) bandage

    • 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)

    • 5 3 in. x 3 in. sterile gauze pads

    • 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)

    • Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)

    • 2 triangular bandages

    • Scissors

    • Tweezers

    • Emergency First Aid instructions

    • GSD tip: Many parents purchase infant/child choking devices and trust that those are sufficient. This is wrong. Such devices should only be used as a last resort. Parents should be trained in First Aid and CPR and use that training first.

  • Medications

    • Two weeks worth of prescriptions

      • Plan ahead. If meds need to be refrigerated, you must have a generator and minifridge or at least a cooler of ice packs.

    • Over-the counter

      • Analgesics - e.g. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol

      • Anti-inflammatories - e.g. Aspirin, Ibuprofen

      • Antipyretics - e.g. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Tylenol

      • Antihistamines - e.g. Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec

      • Antidiarrheals - e.g. Imodium, Pepto-Bismol

  • Miscellaneous

    • Generator

    • Fire extinguisher

    • Plastic sheeting

    • Duct Tape

    • Hand-crank radio

    • 2-way radios

    • Resource Library

Before hurricane - Prepare yourself

  • Be trained in First Aid and CPR.

  • Be trained to use a generator.

  • Prepare an Emergency Kit

    • Flashlight

    • Multipurpose tool

    • Deodorant and other personal hygiene.

    • Waterless shampoo

    • Wet wipes

    • Phone charger, battery packs

    • Important Documents (IDs, medical documents, prescriptions, etc.)

    • Emergency Contact card/person. Contact should be out of the disaster area.

    • Extra cash

    • Whistle

    • Flares

    • Signal mirror

    • Matches

    • GSD Tip: be trained in Self-defense and Firearms. Reports from post-Katrina, Florence and Ian paint some scary pictures, particularly for women.

Evacuation

Despite what your emotions may be, sometimes the smartest thing to do is to simply leave. Especially if the authorities declare yours a mandatory evacuation zone. Your most important job is to survive, so go. If you’re not in an evacuation zone, use your best judgment as you could very well lose power and water, even if the hurricane doesn’t hit your community.

  • Turn off the electricity, gas, and water to your home.

  • Bring at least 72 hours of food and water per person.

  • Have a plan. Where to go, how to get there.

  • Have a map of the area. You may lose service.

  • Evacuate early before traffic builds up.

During hurricane

There’s nothing you can do now but wait. Be on your radios and listen. For the Wilmington area, the emergency radio stations are 97.3 (FM) and 98.7 (FM). Or, on a NOAA radio, 162.550 KHB-31.

  • Take shelter in a room without windows or, if not possible, stay away from the windows.

  • Move to higher ground if possible.

  • Never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater.

After hurricane

If you evacuated, do not return until the authorities say it is safe. Whether you stayed or left, it’s now time for the clean up. Your number one hazard is bacteria. Anything that got wet should be treated like it’s contaminated.

  • Wear safety gear including gloves, goggles, and boots when working

  • Clean and disinfect everything that got wet

  • Avoid floodwaters.

  • Avoid power lines.

  • Dry everything to avoid mold.

  • Open windows and use fans to dry out the interior.

  • Do not drink tap water until told it is safe.

  • If your home was damaged, do not reenter until approved by an inspector.

  • Ensure proper ventilation for generators.