Being prepared for hurricanes can help you stay safe during one. Let Value Power's team of seasoned retail electricity experts aid you during this hurricane season.
Massive storm systems that form over ocean water that often move towards land are hurricanes. Threats from hurricanes aren’t only about the high winds and heavy rainfall. There are threats from storm surges, rip currents, tornadoes, and coastal and inland flooding. The damage from these storms extends from the coast to far inland, sometimes up to several hundred miles inland. Being prepared for hurricanes can help you stay safe during one.
If you are new or newer to an area like Texas that is prone to hurricanes, you may wonder how long is hurricane season. Well, hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30; however, storms can form before and after these dates. On May 1 of every year, Hurricane Preparedness Week kicks off, followed by Hurricane Preparedness Month. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsors Hurricane Preparedness Week to help raise awareness about hurricane hazards and encourage you to start hurricane season preparations.
For those newer to hurricane season, it can be helpful to know the different types of storms you’ll encounter.
Having supplies on hand during hurricane season is helpful when push comes to shove. Taking the time early to gather supplies can help your mind be more at ease during an emergency.
The list above is not exhaustive, and every household has unique needs and requirements, but this list should help you get started.
Getting your home hurricane ready can strengthen it against wind, rain, and flooding during this season. A good way to start is to check if your home is up to building code specifications and consider any retrofits needing completion. If you are a renter, work with your landlord early to prepare your home.
The structure itself isn’t the only thing you should prepare early. Make sure your insurance policies are reviewed and/or updated. Determine you and your family’s personal risk if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone.
Replenish your hurricane emergency supplies. If you are newer to a hurricane area, make or find a list of supplies you need and get your hurricane preparedness kit ready.
You can easily make these preparations before the start of hurricane season on June 1.
Through the course of the life of a storm, the National Weather Service issues different alerts to affected areas. Knowing the differences is an easy way to understand how to stay safe during hurricane season. These are some of the typical alerts you will come across.
During hurricane season, it’s always a good idea to stay up-to-date with the weather forecast. You can also sign up for alerts from reputable sources such as the National Weather Service or NOAA.
The preparation you did in May is only the start of what you need to do. When the storm has already formed, there is still more work. Now is the time to start putting some of that planning into action.
This list isn’t exhaustive but will give a good leg up on your prep.
Planning for your household also means planning for your pet and their needs. This planning includes trying to help curb their stress with toys and other comfort items like blankets.
If officials tell you to evacuate, your pet evacuates with you. Pets that are left behind face getting lost, being injured, or worse. So, know which evacuation shelters or hotels you can go to with your pet ahead of time.
Keep spare cash on hand in case ATMs and credit card processing systems are down. Power is often lost during hurricanes and tropical storms. Many electronic ways of paying and processing payments are down with power out. Having cash on hand makes it easier to conduct transactions during emergencies.
Due to this, ATMs are often incredibly busy and sometimes out-of-order in the days leading up to a storm. It’s always a good idea to take out some cash as soon as possible.
Not everyone lives in a mandatory evacuation zone; you have to decide whether to stay at home, leave the area, or move to higher ground. Either way, make sure you know an evacuation route and have an evacuation plan beforehand. Be sure to follow evacuation routes instead of taking shortcuts on roads that could already be blocked.
When you are devising your evacuation plans, consider the options for your household if you have pregnant women, small children, elderly individuals, or individuals with medical conditions. If you evacuate to a shelter or further from the storm, make sure someone knows where you plan to evacuate, even if you have to leave abruptly.
If your local authorities advise you to evacuate, do it right away, and don’t forget your emergency go kit. Be sure to have it packed and ready to go in case you have to evacuate last minute. Also, never try walking, swimming, or driving through floodwater. Turn around and don’t drown!
Communication is critical during emergency situations. So, making sure that everyone in your household knows the plan for staying and evacuation is a high priority. You also want to let family members and/or friends outside of your hurricane or tropical storm area know your plan. Being prepared helps people to panic less in emergencies.
You and your household members should consider having numbers saved on your phone and written down on paper.
Having and reviewing your plan with your household keeps everyone on the same page for your household’s unique needs.
Knowing the best ways to contact your utilities after a hurricane or tropical storm is of incredible value. Storms can down wires, and you do not want to go near them because these lines don’t need to arc or spark to be livewires. Natural gas lines are another one to worry and signs that something is wrong is to watch for a spot in your yard bubbling.
Contact your utilities immediately if you notice downed wires or signs of a natural gas leak. Do not try to take care of it yourself. Make sure you have the numbers for your utilities (including their emergency lines) saved in your phone and securely written down somewhere in case you do not have cellphone access.
Remember, if it is an emergency, call 911.
Many local utility companies take advantage of technology and have their own apps. Downloading the app for your utility is a great way to prep for a hurricane or tropical storm. They tend to make it easy to report an outage, monitor power conditions, and stay informed.
Downloading one of the apps ahead of time helps in these emergency situations.
You may want to consider a generator. It’s not an absolute necessity; however, generators are incredibly helpful if individuals such as those with medical devices that require power and cannot evacuate.
Portable generators are great for emergency situations. If you recently bought a generator in preparation for a storm, take time to learn to use it safely. Make sure that you have plenty of fuel necessary to run your generator on hand. When running a generator, run it outside to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Making or having a checklist makes it simple and convenient to prepare and know what preparations are left.
The list above is not exhaustive, and every household has unique needs and requirements, but this list should help you get started.
At Value Power, we are a team of seasoned retail electricity experts who have been serving residential and commercial customers since the beginning of deregulation and Power To Choose in Texas almost 20 years ago. Our customer-oriented brand focuses on offering value pricing coupled with great customer service. There are no complicated wait menus, long wait times, or bureaucratic run-around, so, we can aid you during this hurricane season.