I have lived in Houston my whole life. So I have seen my share of hurricane. The most recent and memorable were Hurricane Ike and Harvey.
Hurricane Ike we had a hurricane “party” at my moms. My daughter was about 2 and was not having it. I remember my sweet brothers going out in the EYE OF THE STORM to get a gutter that was flying off the house. That was a very creepy moment and one I will never forget. Then we were without power for almost 3 weeks! There was NO gas, no ice, it was really bad.
Hurricane Rita wasn’t bad but was a big scare and we sat in the evacuation route to get out of town for 12 hours! We went a total of maybe 30-40 miles and ended up across town and weathered the storm. I was 3 months pregnant so that was not fun! People were stuck all over the Houston freeways due to either over heating or running out of gas and there was no gas to be found. We saw some terrible things!!!
Harvey was one that most remember as it was a devastation to Houston! So many lost everything. I remember my husband was stuck at work and I was alone with my kids. Water rising everywhere. Family members trapped all over town. Oh and then a plant near our house almost exploded because of the flooding sending everyone into a mass chaos since no one could leave.
SOOO I say all that to say I have some experience in hurricanes, tropical storms, etc. This weeks as we have all eyes on the Gulf seeing if this new development will become a Hurricane and head our way I have my self in Hurricane prep mode and wanted to share things that we have learned that we need.
Be prepared to lose power. And if you do you need things that run on gas or batteries. Think camping stuff.
Equipment:
- Portable Butane Stove OR Portable Charcoal Grill – These are cheap and easy to set up if the power is out.
- If you are using the stoves above be sure to stock up on charcoal or propane.
- Batteries LOTS AND ALL SIZES
- Flashlights for everyone (These are cheap and great for the little ones to have one of their own)
- Big Flashlight like this one
- Candles- A tip is to get candles in JARS vs. pillars.
- This is a cool emergency candle
- Radio – Battery operated and NOAA weather radio. Think an old fashioned radio like this.
- Telephones – Fully charged cell phone with extra battery
Food:
- Peanut Butter
- Bread
- Tuna Fish
- Water- a gallon per person per day
- Crackers – Goldfish, Saltines, Ritz crackers
- Vienna sausages
- Juice packs for the kids
- Plan for 3 to 7 days
- Non-perishable packaged or canned food are best
Medical stuff:
I had a sick kiddo during Harvey and that was scary knowing we could not get out. I am thankful I had the following things on hand.
- First Aid Kit
- Children’s Ibuprofen
- Adult Ibuprofen
- Cough and cold medicine for all
- Be sure to refill all prescriptions before the storm
- Baby Wipes
- Thermometer
- Lysol Spray
Personal items
- Baby Wipes
- Dry Shampoo
- Deodorant
- Hand sanitizer
- Bathing cloths
- Female products
- No rinse body wash (YES! This is a real thing!)
Other important things:
Clothing and appropriate items. During Harvey so many were displaced and needed blankets and rain gear. So consider rain coats, rain boots, ponchos, blankets, and sturdy shoes.
Cash (with some small bills) as Banks and ATMs may not be available
Keys
Toys, Books and Games – The kids will be bored without power!
Important documents in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag. Those include house insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.
Make sure your vehicle fuel tanks filled. We have had many times with gas was very hard to find after a storm. We have literally set in line for hours when a gas station would have precious gas and paid a pretty penny for it.
Is there anything else that you would add to this list from your experience?
