HURRICANE PREPARATION CHECKLIST

We here at East & Greenwell want to help make sure that you are well prepared before the next storm heads to Florida. You should update your contact information, check insurance policies and make your handy ‘Hurricane Kit’, all of these things will help ease you into Hurricane Season.

If you find yourself within a 5 day cone, here are a few things we recommend (some may be redundant if you already have your hurricane kit):

  • Is your Hurricane Kit & supplies ready? Click here for the comprehensive list for the Kit, but see below for additional items you will want to add before leaving town OR putting in one area of the home so it’s easy to find when power is out:
    • Important family documents (i.e. birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policy, passports, etc.) in a waterproof container
    • Pliers to turn off utilities
    • Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for kids
    • Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water
    • Sandbags to prevent flooding
    • Toilet paper and other personal hygiene products
    • Fire extinguisher
    • Cell phones and chargers with backup battery chargers
    • Medication (Prescription and non-prescription)
    • Glasses and contact lens solution
    • Generator and gas cans
    • Pet food

Fill your vehicles with gas!

  • Gas is usually scarce before and after hurricanes, so you’ll want to make sure you fill up your vehicles and ideally have extra gas cans in your garage as well.

Prepare a plan

  • One of the most important things you can do when a storm is approaching is prepare a plan – specifically whether you will evacuate your home, and if so, where you will go. You can tailor your plan based on the expected severity of the storm, though it’s important to remember that hurricanes can be extremely unpredictable. If your family is in a special flood zone or you have experienced flooding in the past, evacuating might be the safest option. If you decide to leave the state of Florida, be sure to give yourself adequate driving time to get out of the state before the storm comes. It can take much longer to evacuate than you’d expect due to many other families doing the same thing.

Install your storm shutters.

  • If you’re unable to install your own shutters, call to set an appointment with a company that provides the service so you can be sure to have shutters installed before the storm arrives.

Record a quick video of your home.

  • In case of damage from the storm, it may be helpful to have an easy reference for the belongings that you had in your home before the storm. It doesn’t have to be extremely detailed, but recording a quick walk through of every room in your home may come in handy.