Hurricane: What to Do Before and After
Before the hurricane:
1. Make sure your emergency supplies are fully stocked with enough for each household member for at least three days.
– Battery operated lights and radio with an ample supply of batteries.
– Drinking-water
– First-aid-kit and prescription medications.
– Food which requires no refrigeration, including baby food and pet food if it applies.
– Garbage bags and paper towels.
– Tools such as a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers and knives.
– Full tank of gas in your automobile.
– Toothbrushes and toothpaste.
– Toilet paper
– Manual can opener.
– Bedding such as blankets and pillows.
– Tarp in case of roof damage
– Car charger for your cell phone
– Matches or lighters
– Cash
– Clothes
– Mild soap (bar or liquid)
2. Take digitally dated pictures of your home, inside and out, for insurance purposes. Add them to all of your important documents and store them in a waterproof container.
3. Gather anything outside that could take flight in a strong wind, becoming a missile, and store or batten them down.
4. Board up windows and doors. Get sandbags to keep water out of your home, which can be obtained, usually free, at your local fire station.
5. Fill the gas tank in your automobile, and extra gas for a generator if you have one.
6. Make absolutely sure your radios and car phone charger are functioning correctly.
7. Contact friends and relatives and get together on a route in case you have to evacuate. Make sure you have all of the recent phone numbers.
8. If you decide to ride out the storm, make sure to park your automobile on high ground in case of flooding. Be careful not to park beneath a tree which could fall or drop a limb on it.
9. Prepare a mini survival kit with food, water and other essentials you may need in case you need to go to a shelter.
10. Having done all of these things, watch the updates and track the storm.
After the hurricane:
If you rode out the storm, use caution when going outside because downed power lines can kill. Also, poisonous snakes have been known to take lives after a severe storm so carry a stick as you walk around surveying the damage to make sure there are no snakes lurking beneath the debris.
Check electrical wires going into the home and check the roof for damage.
The power will more than likely be off for a while. If your toilet doesn’t flush, clean and empty the bowl and insert a heavy-duty garbage bag. Also, a good sized bucket with water and pine-scented cleaner will be much less offensive.
It is very tempting to go out once the hurricane passes to survey the neighborhood, but it is very unsafe due to downed power lines.
Common sense dictates the importance of being prepared, no matter what kind of emergency you encounter. Emergency supplies should be replenished after the emergency and kept updated, replacing food, water and batteries.
Most Christians believe we are living in the “beginning of sorrows” that Jesus talked about in Matthew 24.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines,
and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. For
then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Therefore, considering the natural disasters that have taken thousands of lives worldwide, along with a failing economy, global warming and climates changes; preparing for a hurricane will also prepare you for other possible emergencies that could happen at any time.
However, the first and foremost thing to do before and after a hurricane, or any other emergency situation, is provide for the soul. No one is guaranteed another day of life, so preparing for the soul should be our main priority.
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20)
