I remember back in 2004 when Hurricane Charlie took Orlando for a whirlwind. My mom rushed to the store to get a supply of nonperishable foods and water. We had ended up with a supply that would have lasted a couple of months. I may be exaggerating a tad bit but, trust me, not by much! I remember thinking my mom was crazy and over reacting. Well I wasn’t a mom back then. I lived in my own little world and had no responsibilities plus I had never experienced a hurricane before or tornado warnings. I can’t help but think about Hurricane Charlie  as I’m preparing for Hurricane Irma.

Today I find myself in my mothers shoes 15 years later. With a million thoughts as to how to prepare for this storm and how to keep my family safe. I think about everything that could go wrong or happen. Not that I’m happy to feel this way, but I finally understand what was going through my mothers mind as I run like a mad woman scrambling to prepare as much as possible for the unknown. So for any of you who are feeling overwhelmed right now, like I am, here is a list of things to put on your list of things to do as you are preparing for Hurricane Irma to arrive.

Preparing for Hurricane Season

1. Water Supply: Store enough water for a two week period should the water supply be contaminated. You can use a water supply calculator to find out exactly how much water you need to have store for your household.
2. Fill your bathtub(s) with water to have for bird baths, if you know what I mean, and to flush the toilet.
3. Fill your freezer with water bottles  so that you can kill two birds with one stone. Water storage and ice to keep perishable foods cold should the power go out.
4. A flash light for each person in your household and backup batteries
5. First Aid Kit
6. If you aren’t a strong swimmer, have a life jacket handy in the unfortunate event your experience flooding.
7. Waterproof vacuum sealed storage bags for your important documents.
8. Fill your gas tanks
9. External Battery Packs for cell phones fully charged.
10. Charge your cellphones, and any wireless internet capable devices such as aircards and Ipads . To have backup ways of communicating and staying up to date with the news.
11. Have a bag ready with 2 change of clothes for each member in the house just incase you need to evacuate.
12. Board up your windows
13. Bring in any items that can become hazardous flying debris during a storm
14. Check your insurance for flooding coverage.
15. Make copies of important documents and upload them to a secure cloud or email them to yourself.
16. Know your evacuation plan
17. Food Supply

I know I’m a Type A personality, but lists help me stay organized and calm. We pray that this list helps you prepare for Hurricane Season and any future emergencies. Stay safe!