Hurricane season officially begins today; June 1st; and with it comes the annual threat of storms and flooding that many of us are familiar with when living in South Florida.
Last year, our Sarasota area was hit with major storms and flooding, and we strongly recommend being prepared this year. Many residents chose to evacuate last year, and most in the last couple of days prior to the storms making landfall.
If you haven’t yet created a hurricane kit for your car, now is the time. To help you with this, we’ve prepared a handy checklist for you to consider when creating your hurricane kit.
Hurricane Kit Checklist
Water
You should store enough water to last at least three days, although two weeks’ worth would be ideal. A good rule of thumb is a gallon of water per day per person (and pet), but you might want more if it’s very hot out or you’re pregnant.
You should also be ready to disinfect the water. If there’s been flooding, even if the tap turns back on, the water might not be safe to drink because of bacterial contamination
FOOD
You should store at least three days of non-perishable food, including canned and dehydrated food. A mix of both is best: canned food is heavier but dehydrated food needs water to be eaten, and if you’re rationing water already, that might a problem. Also, remember a can opener
More Items
- Cash ($20-30 in small bills and include some change)
- Diapers/Wipes if you have kids
- Emergency blankets/hand warmers (or an old spare comforter)
- Jumper cables
- Car shovel/pick
- Pocket knife
- First aid kit
- Radio
- Package of batteries (for flashlight and radio)
- Toilet paper roll
- Spare clothes/walking shoes for small children
- Battery powered radio
- Extra batteries
- Flashlights
- Pet food and supplies if you have pets
- Medications
- Backup phone chargers
- Sanitation – Think moist towelettes, garbage bags and diapers. Consider paper goods such as plates and cups as well as plastic utensils.
Documents
- Evacuation Routes & Maps
- Keepsakes and important documents
The last thing you want to be thinking about in an emergency where you might not come back to “home” as you know it are the important keepsakes. Compile a list of items you would want to grab if you had the room and time. - Car Insurance information
- Keep copies of key documents in a waterproof, easy-to-carry container. These include identification such as passports and Social Security cards as well as insurance policies and bank account records.
- Photos of your home and inventory
It’s important to keep a home inventory of your belongings and valuables.
FEMA offers an extensive printable checklist for all-purpose emergency supply kits, too.
Above all things, your safety and the safety of your loved one’s is the priority, and our personal injury attorneys hopes that this checklist will help you to be prepared in the case of another storm coming to our Sarasota, Florida areas.
Stay safe out there this year!
