A guide to Florida’s 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is here, and there’s no time like the present to get prepared. It’s time to check our supplies and make any needed revisions to our hurricane plan.
Its hard to believe another hurricane season is upon us, especially when so many of us are still recovering from Ian. But alas, it is here and time to prepare! For those who have just moved to SW Florida and have never gone through a hurricane season, don’t worry, it’s not that hard to get and stay prepared. For those who have lived here a while now, especially through Ian, you all know the drill!
As many of us remember, when Hurricane Ian was approaching, we were told it was heading to Tampa. Now, if you have lived here awhile, like myself, and are a Hurricane Charlie alum, then you probably gave Ian a second look and got prepared just in case it made that shift, which it did.
The days/week before a storm can get pretty hectic. The stores get very crowded with everyone stocking up on supplies, the lines at the gas stations are long, and gas will sell out. Water and gas become hot commodities and tend to sell out quickly. So getting prepared, and most importantly, staying prepared is important, and I have created a list of my suggestions, which is how my family prepares which I have shared below. I have also modified this list since Hurricane Ian with some additional supplies that came in handy.
The National Hurricane Center has great information and resources, just click here to check it out.
The Atlantic Hurricane season begins on June 1st and runs through November 30th and the list of names ranges from Alberto to William. All hurricanes and tropical storms have a predetermined name set by the World Meteorological Organization before the season begins. There are six alphabetical lists of names that are rotated through every 6 six years. If a storm becomes deadly or very destructive, that name is permanently retired. With 2024 set to be an abnormally active season, lets get those supplies ready!
Hurricane Season must-haves, and some helpful tips!
Things to buy/Make sure you have
Food & Water
After Hurricane Ian, the National Guard was deployed and we had multiple locations to drive to get water, ice, and meals. However, for many, they could not get to the site due to damaged vehicles or lack of fuel. So having a supply on hand is important. If you are on city water, you can always boil your water to make additional drinking water, however, we were without running water for almost 2 weeks after Ian due to multiple main breaks. Best bet, have water on hand!
- Water
- 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and cleaning. If you live in an area on well water, you will need extra water to flush toilets.
- If you have a pool home, you can always use your pool water to flush your toilets, just keep and extra bucket handy and part of your supplies.
- If you have pets, have extra water. For dogs – a gallon per dog, depending on size.
- Fill empty soda bottles or any type of large plastic bottle, with drinking water and freeze.
- At the beginning of hurricane season, I buy 3-4 cases of water. I will use and replace it throughout the season so that I always have it on hand.
- A refillable water container that you can purchase on Amazon made a great make-shift sink faucet to rinse dishes and wash hands.
- Food
- At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food should be on hand.
- Canned goods, granola bars, protein bars or pre-made foods that do not require refrigeration.
- Salty snacks are great to keep on hand after being out in the heat cleaning up.
- Electrolyte powders to add to your water for hydration.
- Powers out? Time to grill up that meat in the freezer, perhaps invite the neighbors.
Supplies
We Keep these items together in a plastic tote bin in the garage so that it’s all easy to find when a storm is approaching. At the beginning of the season, we go through everything to make sure everything is in working order. We do not store anything with batteries in them and only put in batteries for testing, and then once a storm is approaching.
- Manual Can opener
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio
- Flashlights and battery-operated lanterns.
- Wall mount, flat-backed tap lights (You can buy them very reasonably priced on Amazon) They are great for setting on the floor or table tops for when the power goes out.
- I would advise against any lanterns that burn and use any type of fuel. I would also caution against candles. When the power is out, and your house is closed up and boarded up with shutters or ply-wood, this is a huge fire risk. Also, it will be hot! Adding any extra warmth or smells into the air, is not something you will want to do.
- Battery-powered fan
- You’ll thank me when you’re trying to sleep in August without A/C
- Extra batteries
- Take inventory of what kind of batteries you will need on hand.
- Check your supplies, and make a list of the types that your flashlights, radios, etc. take. D batteries tend to be hard find before a storm, so get them early. Amazon and Harbor Freight are a great place to shop
- We used a car battery with a 12 Volt USB charging adapter attached to keep our phones charged.
For these remaining items, we do not keep them in our storm bin, but we do keep extras on hand or certain items and will gather them up if a storm is approaching.
- Paper plates, plastic cups, plastic cutlery
- Because no one wants to wash dishes in the dark
- Moist towelettes and/or baby wipes for personal sanitation
- These will be your best friends when you are without power! Its hot, and if you are without running water, you will want a way to clean up a bit.
- Make up removing wipes or sensitive skin baby wipes are great for a quick face wash.
- First Aid Kit
- You can buy one pre-made or put one together in a tote with emergency supplies.
- Keep over the counter medications such as Tylenol, Advil, and antacids in your kit
- If you have pets, keep first aid supplies for pets as well.
- Latex Gloves – If anyone is injured, you may want these for safety.
- Stop Bleed packs are great to keep on hand for cuts, especially if someone in your household is on blood thinners.
- Quality extension cords are required and they must be long enough to reach from your generator (that will be outside your home) to anything in your home to want to connect.
- Prescription meds.
- Make sure you have enough of your medication on hand prior to a storm, regardless if you plan to stay or evacuate. Stores could be closed and mail might not be delivered for a period of time, so plan accordingly.
- Cooler
- Invest in a decent cooler that will keep food cold for several days.
- Spare gas cans
- Keep full, as gas may be hard to find after a Hurricane comes through.
- At the end of the season, you fill your car with the fuel you have left as it won’t keep will next season.
- Garbage bags
- Useful for clean up and to protect papers.
- Get a decent brand. You will use these for trash disposal, and also you can wrap or store valuables in them. You want a decent quality that won’t rip and tear easily.
- Fire extinguisher
- Always good to a few on hand, but very important for a storm. During a major hurricane, emergency services will be suspended and will not respond to calls until it is safe.
- Cleaning and Misc. Supplies
- Tarps, duct tape, rope, bleach, and high-quality work gloves. You will want these items for cleanup after the storm.
- Cleaning wipes in a container are great to have on hand for quick clean-ups.
- Drywall knife. This is new to my kit. After the flooding with Ian, it’s important to cut out wet drywall to prevent mold, so this is now in our kit.
- Generator
- This is not mandatory, but should you choose to purchase one; please follow all safety instructions that came with your generator.
- Make sure to have extra fuel on hand should you decide to purchase and run a generator.
Getting and Staying Prepared for Hurricane Season
- Make a plan. Decide ahead of time if you plan to stay or evacuate and then confirm with friends and family what your plan is. If you plan to evacuate, plan where you will go and what you will bring with you, and leave early!
- Keep your gas tank full in your car. When and if a storm is announced that it’s coming, the lines at the gas stations will get crazy long.
- Check your gas cans, make sure they are usable, and fill them up. You can use this gas for your car and lawn mowers during the season, but just keep refilling them. This will save you from having to wait in the long lines in the days before a storm.
- Check your hurricane shutters, plywood, roll downs; whatever you have. Make sure you have all the parts you need, and everything is in working order. When a storm is announced, these supplies will sell out first. Even little things like the bolts that anchor into the wall will be cleared out.
- Pull out your generator and test it. Burn off old fuel, and make sure it’s in good working order.
- Gather important documents and keep them all together. Scan copies to your computer and either email them to yourself, or store somewhere cloud based such as Google drive.
- Check your insurance documents; home, cars, boats, RVs. Once a named stormed is out there, and we are in the path, insurance companies will stop writing policies.
- Gather pet records and vaccine records in case you need to go to a shelter.
- Make sure you have enough pet supplies and food. Stores will reopen after a storm, but lines will be long and supplies limited. Don’t be like me and wait in line with over a 100 people because I forgot to buy cat litter!
- Run a backup of your computer files and photos to an external hard drive that you can either take with you if evacuating, or store in a safe dry place.
- If you have a grill, keep an extra propane tank, or extra charcoal and matches on hand.
- Start bagging and freezing ice cubes (if you have an ice maker). Now may not be the best time to stock your freezer with a trip to Costco, but is important to keep your freezer full to maintain temperature. This time of year we are prone to rain and thunderstorms which sometimes cause power outages. So this is not just for hurricanes!
- I fill bags with ice and wedge them into the nooks and crannies of the freezer. I store A LOT of ice! (Comes in handy for summer BBQs as well) After a storm and the power is out, you will be hot and a nice cold beverage is one of the only things you will want.
- Most importantly, enjoy the summer!
If a storm is announced and we are in the cone of possibility
- Go over your plan again and decide if you will evacuate or stay. If you plan to go to a local shelter, refer to those shelters’ instructions on what you can bring and when you can arrive.
- If you plan to leave the area, secure your home, and leave as soon as you can.
- If you are staying, start getting your home ready. Gather supplies and secure valuables. Garbage bags and plastic tote bins are your friends.
- Secure all outdoor decorations, furniture, and potted plants. Anything that could blow around, you need to secure. If you have roll down shutters on your lanai, bring everything inside that area. Bring what you can inside your home or garage.
- Advice that is given often is to put your furniture in your pool if you have one. DO NOT do this! This can ruin your pool surface and your furniture.
- When you bring things inside, keep it neat and tidy. You don’t want to be tripping over it!
- If you have shutters or plywood, make sure to get an early start as this can be exhausting. Make sure to keep your drill fully charged (if battery operated) so that you take down your shutters after the storm and get some light into your house if you are without power.
- Keep all your supplies in an easy-to-access location in your home.
- Clean your home before the storm. If you’re without power for a while, it will make things easier.
- Just before the storm, turn your AC down low to help keep your home cool throughout the storm if the power goes out.
- During the storm, stay indoors, and stay safe! You will hear lots of loud noises but do not go outside to try to see what’s happened or fix anything. It is not worth the risk of getting hurt.
- Please remember that during the storm, emergency response will be suspended if wind speeds are too high, and will not resume until after the storm has passed. This is why a fire extinguisher and first aid kit are important things to have.
I hope this information has been helpful. Hopefully, we will have a nice calm summer, but just in case, stay prepared!