Be Hurricane ready

Courtesy of Ralph's Tropical Weather

Preparing Inside

of Your Home

  Session: 6

Be sure supplies are in a safe and secure spot: A utility or pantry closet will make a good spot to store your supplies securely.  You may want to have some of the supplies in your safe room so you won't have to wonder around your house while the storm winds are blowing.

Choose a SAFE ROOM in your house: An interior Closet, a utility closet under the stairwell, an interior room, bathroom or Kitchen with NO WINDOWS, would make a good place for a safe room. DO NOT sit in a hallway facing doors or Windows.   (Click Here)

Equip Your Safe Room with: Small Mattress, battery-operated TV, AM-FM radio, NOAA weather radio, flashlights, extra batteries, extra bulbs for your type cell flashlight or battery operated lantern with an extra lantern bulb, First-Aid kit,  ABC fire extinguisher, sleeping bags, coloring books, board games, crayons, toys, reading material (magazines), snacks and drinking water, .  (Remember 1 gal. of water per person for two weeks).

Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings hours prior to storms arrival: If possible throw a blanket over the refrigerator to prevent cold from escaping.  Open refrigerator ONLY when needed.

Disconnect electrical equipment:  Always disconnect expensive electronic equipment in case of power surges and spikes that occur during sudden power outages and the return of electrical power to your grid.

Cover your computer and electrical equipment (Stereo): It is always a good idea to cover your expensive equipment with plastic in case of an interior water leak caused by roof damage.

Disconnect circuit breakers to your home: When strong hurricane force winds arrive shut off all small breakers to your home minus the MAIN and one breaker that leads to a room that you could leave a light switch on.  This will alert you when the power is restored to your home.  (READ NOTE BELOW)

Prepare Bathtub for Sanitary Purpose: With a WATERSAFE - 65 Gallon Bathtub bag.  No more having to keep the tub sparkling clean before a hurricane, and buying puddy to seal the drains to keep water in the tub.  With WATERSAFE bags you can have fresh water available to fill toilet tank, brush your teeth, wash your face, and all bathroom needs that require water use.

NOTE: How to Shut Off Your Electricity:

It is important to know where all your home's electrical panels are located and how to turn the electricity off in case of emergency. (There may be more than one panel.)  Your home may be equipped with fuses or circuit breakers.

   * If your house has fuses, you will find a knife switch handle or pullout fuse that should be marked "MAIN."  (DO NOT TURN OFF "MAIN" FIRST)

   * If your home has circuit breakers, you may need to open the metal door of the breaker box to reveal the circuit breakers (never remove the metal cover). The main circuit breaker should be clearly marked showing "ON" and "OFF" positions.  (DO NOT TURN OFF "MAIN" FIRST)

   * Remove all the small fuses or turn off all the small breakers first, then shut off the "MAIN."  This will take the load off the "MAIN" fuse or breaker and avoiding an overload or spark that could cause an eye injury or damage to the house circuitry.

   * If you have any sub-electrical panels next to the main fuse box or breaker panel or in other parts of the home, in an emergency shut them off, too. Shorts can sometimes develop that cause a circuit to bypass the breaker or fuse.

Remember:

Shutting down panel:

• Turn Branch Circuits Off first 
  

• Then turn “Main” Off.
  

When turning breakers back "On" do the reverse:

• Turn “Main” On
  

• Then turn each Branch breaker “On” one at a time.
  

This page was last updated: June 8, 2009