BackHurricane Preparedness - It's That Time Again!
Information gathered by Seniors Blue Book Staff from Local Agencies
A group of seniors met at a local senior center one year ago and brainstormed these ideas for hurricane preparedness. Everyone there went through Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, so these are first-hand recommendations and are worth consideration. Here they are in abbreviated form; see if they apply to your plans.
- Cash on hand (plenty)
- Cell phone charger for automobile
- Clothes appropriate for several weeks and different environments
- Contact plan
- Electrical generator with extension cords (and safety information)
- Flashlights and batteries
- Food, non-perishable
- Fuel for automobile, generator
- Gas and charcoal grills for cooking
- Hot water supply (solar shower?)
- Manual can opener
- Medicine, 4-week supply
- Money (savings) available for insurance deductible (after storm)
- Nebulizers, portable
- Oxygen supply
- Personal hygiene items
- Plug-in phone (no house power required)
- Prescriptions for medicine (written on paper) from doctor, or computer printout
- Sanitizers and First Aid kit
- Seating arrangements, appropriate for senior citizens
- Tools for debris removal (saw, axe. ...)
The following ideas are for local agencies and organizations. Perhaps some of you can help organize this:
- Coordinate with relief agencies (Catholic Social Services, Red Cross, Baptist Missions)
- Establish crews from local high schools (for cleanup, ...)
- Homebound seniors, plan for this
- Neighborhood Watch for after-storm crime
- Plan for distribution centers including home-delivered meals
Special needs shelter:
- If you require life-support systems, know the location of your county's special needs shelter. This shelter will have a nurse, electricity, plumbing, and a good communications system.
Plan for evacuation:
- All important papers in one location, including advance directives and insurance
- Fuel required, account for delays/detours/high fuel consumption
- Have one central contact in a far away area code (through whom you can be contacted)
- Plan a route
- Plan for pets
- Pre-arrange a destination
- Prearrange your contacts (people out of the area)
- Turn-off water and gas
- Two-way radios for short-range contact