Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Assemble a Rescue Kit
• Part 2 of 3: Strengthen your home
• Part 3 of 3: Create a Family Plan
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

A hurricane can always come unexpectedly and be a stressful period for everyone. It concerns not only people on its way, but also worries relatives and friends who are at the epicenter. Preparation will help you cope with the physical challenges of the storm while maintaining your peace of mind.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Assemble a Rescue Kit

1. 1 Buy enough food and water to last for several days. Canned food is the only acceptable food for an event such as a hurricane. Be sure to check the expiration date to make sure the food is fresh. Always keep such supplies handy in case of an emergency.
   • Stock up on canned food that does not require the addition of water or milk.
   • Get a bath if you choose to stay at home. A medium bath will last for about three days. This will also allow you to flush the toilet with a bucket.
   • There is a lot of water in your home's water heater. On an average 150-liter water heater, there is enough water to support one person for a month. You can find more information about this here.
   • The average person needs about 3.5 liters of water per day. Pets (dogs) need about 1.75 liters of water per day. Cats require much less water.
2. 2 Prepare your refrigerator and freezer. Do this when the storm enters your area and you can settle for a long time. Eat perishable food first while waiting for a power outage. Refill your refrigerator and freezer with bottled water and sealed, non-perishable food items. The more your freezer is full, the more food will be able to keep cold and keep the overall temperature low. The same goes for the refrigerator compartment.
   • Refrigerate as much water and liquid as possible; in the event of a power outage, this will help maintain the cold longer. Hopefully, just before the electricity is restored.
   • Place all the ice you have in the freezer in plastic bags. Fill the entire freezer space with ice bags. Also freeze water bottles.
   • Read our article on how to keep food frozen during power outages.
3. 3 Stock up on the medications you need. Make sure you have the prescribed medications that you or your family are taking on a regular basis. Some insurances do not replenish drugs until the previous supply is nearly depleted or runs out. If necessary, medicines can be purchased without insurance; weeks can pass without the ability to replenish the reserve, putting your health at risk. During hurricanes, you should always have a reserve of medicines in reserve, because in the event of a storm, pharmacies will be closed.
4. 4 Make sure you have the essentials. You must have supplies to live on if you and your family are trapped in your home for a week without access to electricity, running water and shops. This includes light sources (battery or crank powered), hand can opener, first aid kit, and hygiene products.
   • Print out the Medical Guide so you know how to proceed if this situation arises. Such a guide can be downloaded here: http://www.redcross.ru/sites/default/files/books/mezhdunarodnoe_rukovodstvo_po_pervoy_pomoshchi_i_reanimacii_2016.pdf
5. 5 Take your supplies with you. You can take your essentials with you if you decide to evacuate by car. You will have to take less food and water due to lack of space in transport. But there are additional things you will need if you decide to leave:
   • torches;
   • physical cards;
   • connecting cables (ropes);
   • additional cans of gasoline.
6. 6 Check your emergency supplies every couple of months. This is to ensure that the supplies are in good condition and fresh. This way you will be prepared for any unexpected situation. Create a list in which all items will be classified and dated.
   • Inflate air mattresses to make sure they don't need patches or replacements.
   • Use a battery tester to check the charge of spare batteries.

Part 2 of 3: Strengthen your home

1. 1 Make sure your home insurance is valid. Sometimes home insurance does not include flood insurance, in which case you will have to buy it separately. It's just in case a hurricane does cause serious damage to your home, you have the guarantee that you can rebuild when it's over.
2. 2 Protect your windows. Close all doors and windows. If you don't have hurricane shutters, use plywood to board up the doors and windows of the house. This will strengthen them so that wind and rain will not severely damage your property. It is also a good idea to reinforce the garage doors so that everything is protected there too. This is best done as soon as you hear the hurricane heading towards you so that by the time the storm picks up speed, you are no longer outside.
3. 3 Find out how to turn off the gas and electricity in your home. Make sure you have all the tools you need to get the job done. If you are unsure how to do this, talk to your gas or electric company for instructions. When the storm comes, you should take all the necessary safety measures. Be sure to listen to the officials' messages during this time so that you know when you can turn on the gas and electricity supply again.
4. 4 Cut off trees and branches near your house and car. If a large tree falls on your home, it can punch a large hole in the roof. If a large tree falls on your car, it will easily smash it. Remove dried out trees and bushes. Ask a gardener or utility company to remove dry trees and branches and assess the health of the plants near your home.
5. 5 Get a generator. If your family has special medical needs or you absolutely need air conditioning, be prepared to pay more for a generator that can handle it. Search the internet for generator power calculators to make sure you don't buy more than you need.
   • Buy several 20 liter gas cylinders. After a hurricane, there is usually a shortage of fuel, and many gas stations even limit the amount of gas / gas you can purchase after waiting in line.
   • If you can't get a generator, buy an AC / DC converter. With it, you will use your car as a mobile electric generator. They cost from 1,500 to 7,000 rubles and are available in the automotive section of hypermarkets. You will need a large power strip to connect the power to your home.
     • Do not run a car or gasoline generator in a garage as carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal.
6. 6 Designate a "safe room". This is in case of violation of the integrity of your home. The "safe room" should have no windows or exterior doors, and preferably only one interior door. This will be a place for you and your family to retreat in case the storm gets too severe. Make sure that this room has all the supplies in case you cannot make more than one excursion when you take cover in this room.

Part 3 of 3: Create a Family Plan

1. 1 Stay up to date. How often you watch the weather forecast is up to you, but if you start to feel depressed or panic, turn off this channel. Keep in mind that many hurricanes move slowly. Once you know about an impending storm, chances are you will have a few days to complete your business. Stay alert or take things too lightly, as hurricanes are known to pick up speed or change course unexpectedly. Knowing the weather forecast will allow you and your family to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
2. 2 Find local escape routes. Check the websites of your city and area for information on which roads to use when exiting a hurricane.Be sure to check all of the available options to see which will work best. Plan to use multiple routes, as you may not leave your home if the storm comes quickly. SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Direct Relief

   
   
   Direct Relief humanitarian organization is a preeminent humanitarian relief organization with operations in all 50 states of the United States and in over 80 other countries. Specializes in helping people affected by emergencies and natural disasters. Direct Relief has been highly rated by Charity Navigator, GuideStar and the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (University of Pennsylvania) for its proactiveness, efficiency and transparency.

   Direct Relief
   Humanitarian organization

   Representatives of Direct Relief, an outstanding humanitarian relief organization - it is advised to refuel the car with gas before evacuation, as due to lack of reserves and excess demand, you will most likely not be able to refuel the car after a hurricane.

3. 3 Discuss and review the emergency plan. Make sure everyone in the family knows who to contact and how to stay connected out of range. If your family is somehow split up, you need to make sure that each family member knows where to go to get to a safe place.
4. 4 Inform your children. Make sure they know enough information for an adult to contact the person if a sudden evacuation is needed when you are not around them. If you have young children, write important contact information on the index card and give it to them if they are somehow separated from you.
   • If your older children have cell phones, make sure your contact information and any other emergency numbers are listed on their contact list.
5. 5 Select an evacuation location. This could be the home of a friend or family member you made an arrangement with. Contact him ahead of time and make sure he will be in town around the time the hurricane is due. Be sure to find out where the nearby hideouts are if you need to find cover immediately.
   • You must evacuate if:
     • You live in a mobile home or in a trailer. They are unsafe even in Category 1 storms.
     • You live in a high-rise building. Winds are stronger at higher altitudes and this will cause the building to sway.
     • You live near a storm-prone area. Make sure the house is not flooded by storm surges or waves.
6. 6 Keep a physical copy of the emergency plan. Learned information can be forgotten over time, especially information that is not used in daily activities. When you and your family create a hurricane plan, write it down. Write down every step, location, and inventory for family members to review every few months to keep in their memory. This way, when a hurricane approaches, all family members can move on to a ready-made plan, rather than trying to remember every detail anew.
7. 7 Save some money. Save some money for emergency use in the event of a hurricane. After a storm, you can spend that money on rebuilding anything that was not covered by insurance. You can also give this money to friends, family or neighbors who may not have had insurance; they will definitely appreciate this kind of help.

Tips

• Stay away from windows during storms.
• A 20 liter bucket paved with a trash bag makes a good emergency toilet. An alternative is to dig a hole in your yard and use it as an emergency toilet. You can also put cat litter in a 20 liter bucket. This will absorb the liquid and allow the bag to be reused before discarding.
• You can purchase a car refrigerator for less than RUB 3,000. It is powered by a car battery.Although not large, the car refrigerator can hold at least a day's supply of food and can of course be replenished as needed.
• Fill the tub with water before the hurricane if you plan on staying home to make sure you have a supply of water for flushing the toilet, drinking, cooking, and so on.
• Do not flush the toilet if there is no water in the cistern. Waste left there will create an unpleasant odor in your home. It takes about 4 liters of water to flush the toilet. Instead, you can put a garbage bag in the toilet bowl itself, and thus carry waste out of the house.
• Stay away from sharp objects, especially if the wind is very strong.
• Not everyone needs to follow all of these steps or tips, they are optional unless you are in or close to the eye of the storm. In this case, you can only expect heavy rain and wind.
• Communication and teamwork are essential in an emergency. Get together, work together and heed the instructions of the security personnel.
• Don't forget to buy a crank torch to avoid using batteries. Buy batteries for other rechargeable equipment anyway.
• Take valuable items with you, and wrap what remains at home in plastic and place it higher. Even if you are leaving, photographs, insurance papers and other important documents must be in tightly sealed bags.

Warnings

• Don't get lost when the epicenter of a hurricane passes by. This does not mean that the storm is over.
• Listen to instructions from both the Red Cross and government officials.
• Do not hesitate to leave if: (a) you are under a mandatory evacuation order; (b) it is likely a Category 3-5 hurricane and you are within 160 km of the coast; (c) you live in a mobile home or camper, and a hurricane of some kind is moving towards you; or (e) you cannot shut up or boarded up the house.
• Remember, hurricane risks are everywhere.
• The slower the hurricane, the more likely it is to be accompanied by heavy rain, which could lead to flooding. If the hurricane is moving very slowly and you live in a valley, move to a higher area. If the hurricane is moving very fast, most of the damage will be due to the wind.

What do you need

• Self-charging lamps. This equipment is solar powered and / or has a hand generator built into the lamp and radio. This will save you money on batteries. Some of these models will also charge mobile phones.
• Glowing sticks. They will be safer than candles if there are gas leaks, explosive, flammable chemicals in your area.
• Solar powered garden lights. You can charge them in the sun during the day and use them indoors for lighting at night.
• Canned goods and can opener, fruits, vegetables, and other foods that do not require refrigeration.
• Mobile phone and additional charged external batteries. Solar chargers are useful for extended power outages.
• DC to AC converter.
• Wet wipes.
• Battery powered fans will be very helpful if the power is off.
• Lots of batteries of all sizes (you can always use later what was not used during the storm). Consider buying a rechargeable battery to power battery-powered devices at home.
• Lots of large plastic trash bags for disposal of waste and other rubbish.
• Stock of toilet paper and other toiletries as needed.
• At least one 20 liter bucket and litter (biodegradable) for use in the litter box.