What steps do you take to prepare for severe weather and storms?

Question

Our area is in the projected path of Tropical Storm Gustav and many residents in the rural areas prepare for potential power outages. After Katrina and Rita, we lost power for several days.

My husband and I live in the country and there are several steps we take to prepare for severe weather and storms. For example, we fill the bathtub with water so we can flush our toilets. Gallon pitchers filled with water are in the refrigerator. We stock up on batteries for radios and flashlights. Three wick candles are in every room of our house. The pantry is stocked with canned goods, our propane bottles are full and we have plenty of charcoal and charcoal fluid. We also filled the gas tanks on our vehicles.

Although we feel sufficiently prepared, any ideas and suggestions are welcome. What steps do you take to prepare for severe weather and storms?

Answer 1

Make sure you have a first aid kit put together and any medicines that you take should be in a bag that you can take with you if you have to evacuate. Also, important documents and phone numbers should be in an airtight container. A radio with plenty of batteries and a cooler full of ice. If you know the storm is going to hit your area, put all outdoor furniture and small outdoor items somewhere so they don't blow all over the place or turn into projectiles. Don't forget about the pets if you have any. Have their carriers and food bowls ready if you have to evacuate. Many people have electric can openers, make sure you have a can opener that doesn't need electric. Hope this helped.

Answer 2

stocking up on bottled water is a good idea, but instead of individual bottles buy gallon jugs that are more "green"

stock up too on powdered beverages like instant iced tea, crystal light, tang, so you have a nice variety of beverages

dry foods that are easily stored are good to, like trail mix, granola bars, or energy bars   these provide a lot of nutrition and energy much more than chips or snacks.

have books or games handy too, since you'll probably get bored with no tv, radio, or internet

(make sure to have portable radio with fresh batteries too!)