It’s now June, and you know what that means….hurricane season is here! We’ve already experienced our first tropical storm and it’s predicted to be an active season. We hope you’ve already taken measures to prepare. We’ve compiled a checklist should you need to reference it as the hurricane season begins to ramp up.

Stock Up on the Essentials & Prepare Your Home – If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you’re no stranger to hurricane preparations and stocking up on the essentials. We’ve compiled a handy list of some of the items that should be on your shopping list and what to gather when a hurricane is on its way:

• Water – 1 gallon per person per day for 2 weeks. Have additional on hand for cleaning, your pets, and water purification and filtration purposes.
• Non-perishable Packaged or Canned Food and Snacks – Enough for at least 7 days, along with a manual can opener. Think cans of soups and pasta, granola bars, fruit cups, breakfast bars, beef jerky, nuts, dried fruit, chips, etc. Bread, peanut butter, and jelly will also make for a quick and easy meal.
• Fuel – If the power goes out you’ll still be able to grill outdoors after the storm by having bought fuel in advance. Some of your meat and vegetables in your refrigerator and freezer won’t go to waste this way. After a hurricane, only grill outdoors if the weather permits and it’s safe to do so.
• Emergency Kit – Matches, flashlights, first-aid kit, prescription medications, variety of batteries, insect repellent, etc. should be included in your kit.
• Waterproof Containers – Store your important documents such as social security cards, driver’s licenses, a copy of your marriage license, special family photos, and select items of sentimental value. Keep a set of extra clothes, pillows, and blankets dry here as well.
• Personal Hygiene Items & Toiletries – Stock your cabinets with enough toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and a few cleaning supplies to ensure you have the means to keep yourself and your home sanitized, especially during power outages.
• Light & Communication Devices – Make sure you have the correct batteries (and extra batteries) for your battery-operated radio, flashlight, and clock. Tune into the NOAA weather radio for continuous updates on the storm and weather conditions.
• Hurricane Shutters or Storm Panels – In a hurricane-prone area, these are ideal. At the very least secure windows and doors with plywood.
• Tools – A drill with a screwdriver bit will be necessary to secure hurricane shutters. Other tools to gather or purchase include rope, leather gloves, head and foot bolts for doors, and hurricane straps or clips to hold the roof and walls up.
• Childcare Items – Food, formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, clothing, a favorite toy – anything to keep as much of a normal routine for young children.
• Pet Items – Pet food, collars, and leashes are examples of the essentials to set aside should you need to grab them in a hurry.
• Entertainment Items – Playing cards, board games, toys, books, crosswords, and drawing/note pads are just a few ideas to keep the family entertained while waiting out the storm.
• Whistles & Flares – Most likely these items will be in your emergency kit, but they deserve a separate bullet point due to their importance. Whistles are one of the most listed items to include in a hurricane emergency kit by hurricane survivors, allowing the signal for help well beyond the range of a voice and with a lot less effort.

Obtain Sandbags – When a storm is approaching, follow your city, county or municipal emergency management offices for information about where and when to pick up sandbags. If your home is prone to flooding, sandbags can be used to set a barrier around doors and entryways to your home.

Fill Up Your Gas Tank – Don’t wait until the last minute – fuel up when the news reports a hurricane is headed your way so that you’re prepared should you have to evacuate at the last minute. Gas can be hard to find or you’ll be forced to wait in long lines if you wait until the last minute.

Determine If You Live in an Evacuation Zone & Develop an Evacuation Plan – Monitor the news and text alerts to determine if you live in an evacuation zone. Take advice from officials to evacuate very seriously. Consider your options – do you have family/friends in a safer area of the county or state or a different state entirely? Can you book a hotel outside the evacuation zone? Communicate your plan to evacuate with your family early on so that everyone is on the same page and ready. Plan several travel routes in case one is too congested or in case an accident reroutes traffic.

Obtain Flood Insurance & Review Your Insurance Policies – The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by FEMA has flood insurance available to anyone living in one of the 23,000 participating NFIP communities. According to the FEMA website, “Homes and businesses in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders are required to have flood insurance. Verify your current home owner’s insurance coverage to determine if hurricanes and other natural disasters are covered under your policy. If don’t currently have flood insurance, consider it as an extra precaution. Your insurance agent should be able to answer all your questions.

Purchase a Portable Generator and Educate Yourself on How to Safely Use It – A portable generator will come in handy in the event of an extended power outage, but if used improperly, the device can seriously harm or kill unsuspecting families. It’s imperative you thoroughly review how to use this device.

Inspect Your Roof NOW – We recommend you inspect your roof in the springtime, but it’s not too late. Check out our blog post “Spring Clean Your Roof” for tips to ready your roof for the rainy season and potential hurricane threats. Your roof is your home’s top defense against staying safe when life-threatening weather strikes – let the Native Roofing team take a look to determine if you’re ready for hurricane season 2022.

Thank you for taking the time to review and prepare for hurricane season. Contact us should you have any questions on how to ready your home OR if you sustain roof damage due to a storm. We’ll provide you a free roofing estimate and have your roof repaired in no time.