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Hurricane Katrina taught everyone that shuttering the windows and picking up the kids’ toys in the backyard isn’t all that needs to be considered when you’re waiting for that approaching hurricane to hit land.

Usually, the first thing you think of is protecting your home. In hurricane-prone areas, today’s building codes require that certain techniques and materials be used in construction that will increase the survivability of residential structures. So that’s a start in terms of protecting your home from hurricane damage.

If your home wasn’t built with such features, many of them can be retrofitted to older homes as well, including:

• impact-resistant shutters
• mulch instead of crushed rock for landscaping
• hurricane straps which attach the roof to the side walls more securely
• the addition of head and foot door bolt locks to reinforce their security

Here are 10 things you need to do now to make sure your home is protected as best you can.

But storm damage to your home and property is only a small part of the equation when it comes to surviving natural disasters like hurricanes. There many other things to consider. Things that could make the difference between life and death for you and your family.

 

All Alone

The fact is, after a hurricane, you are likely to be alone. Alone like you’ve never been alone before.

And your very survival is dependent upon how well you’ve prepared to be self-sufficient for what could be a considerable length of time.

That means you will need to supply your own water, food, and shelter for longer than the 3 days the government typically recommends.

Who knows?… It could be weeks before help will arrive. And in extreme situations, it could be months before your living situation improves enough to be considered endurable. "Normal" may be years away. There’s a chance you may have to get used to a "new normal" for awhile.

Supplies Needed To Survive

After a hurricane sweeps through your area, chances are all utilities will be nonexistent for a period of time. All sources of water will be polluted.

You will need to provide everything for you and your family’s survival on your own. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, it doesn’t need to be expensive. By thinking simple, you can keep enough dry and safe supplies on hand that will carry you through this very trying time.

Water: You will need a way to filter and purify water. A portable water purifier or filtration system designed for personal survival will help you stay hydrated and strong.

Food: Think simple meals that are dehydrated for long shelf life and stored in a water-tight plastic bucket. All you need to do is add water and heat. A food emergency kit will keep you alive and healthy for months, not days. Is the food boring, and repetitive? Probably, but it is also nutritious and will meet your daily requirements to stay healthy and strong.

Cooking: As simple as dehydrated food is to make, you still need to have a way to boil water. Your gas barbeque may be helpful, but an inexpensive gas burner will go a long way in making this task easier. Even your filtered water supply should be boiled to make sure all biological issues have been taken care of as well. Be sure to keep that 20 lb propane tank full, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a full spare as well.

Shelter: Sitting out in the blistering sun after the storm leaves will put you in a health crisis very fast. Trying to survive in a house that is flooded with water, floating debris and quite possibly disease ridden dead critters is not a good plan either. A simple lightweight shelter — be it a tent, portable geodesic dome, or a yurt — will keep you out of the weather. If your roof is sloped, you may have to take matters into your own hands and design something before the hurricane comes that will offer protection from the elements later on. If you live in a low lying area, everything could be underwater for weeks.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from previous hurricanes here in the U.S…. when it comes to natural disasters, expect to be left to your own devices to survive. Emergency response may be slow in coming, inadequate in nature, or even nonexistent altogether.

You have to be responsible for yourself, so prepare now… well before the storm comes!