Hurricane Season 2024: Tips for starting a storm supply list
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 with the peak of the season on Sept. 10. The most activity happens between mid-August and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center.
An overheated Atlantic Ocean and a rising La Ni?a have forecasters predicting a highly active hurricane season, one that could rival one of the busiest years on record.
The key to getting through storm season is being prepared. That's why The Palm Beach Post has compiled tips, lists, contact numbers, graphics and maps that should help you prepare for a storm, and, if need be, get through it fine.
Hurricane kit
Assemble this now. Put aside in a special box. Keep heat-sensitive items inside home and rotate stock throughout season:
Flashlights and extra bulbs
Clock (wind-up or battery-operated)
Battery-operated radio
NOAA emergency weather radio
Extra batteries
Toilet paper
Matches (camping stores have waterproof matches)
Scissors
Plastic garbage bags
Working fire extinguisher
Clean change of clothes, rain gear, sturdy swamp boots
Fully charged battery-operated lanterns. Don’t use candles and kerosene lanterns. They are fire hazards.
Map of the area
List of phone numbers
Copy of insurance policy
Phone numbers: Who do I call if I need help during a storm? A list of important numbers
Hurricane Survival Checklist: How do I prepare my house and yard for a hurricane?
Food supplies
Get enough nonperishable foods now to last two weeks. Then put them in a box and leave them alone. Note: Canned and other prepared foods that are salty or dry or high in fat or protein might make for good provisions, but they’ll also make you thirsty.
Water: Enough for 1 gallon of drinking water per person/per day, for one-week minimum. Water for two weeks is ideal. (Also, figure another 1 gallon per person/per day of water for washing hands, flushing toilets and for pets.)
Ice or dry ice
Shelf-stable milk and juice boxes
Canned and powdered milk
Beverages (powdered or canned, fruit juices, instant coffee, tea)
Raw vegetables that don’t need refrigeration (will last only a few days)
Canned vegetables and fruits
Dried fruits
Prepared foods (canned soups, beef, spaghetti, tuna, chicken, ham, corned beef hash, packaged pudding)
Snacks (crackers, cookies, hard candy, unsalted nuts)
Snack spreads (peanut butter,cheese spreads, jelly)
Cereals
Sugar, salt, pepper
Bread
Dry and canned pet food
Hardware
Hand tools: hammer, screwdrivers to use now, shovel and pickax for after the storm
Power screwdriver
Quarter-inch machine screw sockets and screws
Plastic sheeting to cover furniture
Rope
Sturdy working gloves
Duct tape to waterproof items; masking tape isn’t strong enough
Canvas tarps
Sturdy nails
More: Hurricane prep: What to do with your pets during a storm
First-aid kit
Drugstores will be mobbed just before a storm and closed for days after. Keep a two-week supply of prescription drugs. Your first-aid kit should include:
Medical supplies
First-aid handbook
Insect repellent sprays
Citronella candles, insect bite lotion
Petroleum jelly, for relieving itching
Ointments for burns, cuts
Antiseptic solution
Sunscreen
Extra over-the-counter medicine (for colds, allergies, cough)
Aspirin, acetaminophen, antacid
Children’s medicines
Diarrhea medication
Feminine hygiene items
Incontinence supplies
Rubbing alcohol
Iodine
Disinfectant
Wet wipes
Moist towelette packets
Medic Alert tags
Thermometer
Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
Cotton-tipped swabs
Sterile rolls
Adhesive bandages
Sterile gauze pads
Roller bandages
Tweezers
Needles
Adhesive tape
Safety pins
Latex gloves
Kitchen supplies
Waterless hand sanitizer
Manual can opener
Water purification tablets
Bottle opener
Matches in a plastic bag
Pocket knife
Camp stove or other cooking device and plenty of fuel. (Use only canned fuel indoors — never charcoal or gas. Buy extra gas or charcoal to use in well-ventilated space after storm has passed.)
Ice chests or coolers
Paper plates, napkins
Plastic cups, utensils
Disposable pans for cooking
Plastic bags, jugs or containers for water and ice
Baby needs
Disposable diapers
Baby wipes
Diaper-rash ointment
Baby medicines
Medicine dropper
Extra formula, baby food
Emergency toilet
Garbage can with tight lid
Plastic bags for liners
Disinfectant or bleach
Deodorizer
Extra toilet paper
Water tips
Basics: Enough for 1 gallon of drinking water per person/per day, for one-week minimum (a two-person household would need 14 gallons). Figure another 1 gallon per person/per day of water for washing hands, flushing toilets and for pets.
Special needs: Without air conditioning, the body is susceptible to heat stroke and dehydration. Have extra water for infants, youngsters, nursing mothers and the elderly.
Water in bulk: You can buy 5- and 10-gallon water bottles, but they’re hard to move. Or sanitize a large garbage can with lid to store drinking water. Pour 1 cup of regular, unscented household bleach to 30 gallons of water; let stand overnight, drain and rinse well. Fill with tap water and replace lid. Buy longhandled ladle; keep paper cups nearby. Freezing jugs of water also helps keep foods frozen and provides chilled drinking water.
For household use, sanitize bathtub by scrubbing well, rinsing with 1 cup bleach in tub of water. Let stand overnight; drain; refill. Use for flushing toilet, but if necessary, for washing.
Keep water clean! Contaminated water can cause diarrhea, leading to dehydration. If drinking water is compromised, use for washing up or flushing toilets. After a storm, do not use tap water for drinking unless you boil it for 3 minutes first or use purifying methods.
Wait until your utility or local government says water is safe to drink.
Ice tips
Freezing water jugs: Buy 1-gallon containers of drinking water (2? gallons, if your freezer will accommodate them), drain out about?cup to leave room for expansion, seal tightly and freeze.
Keep jugs in freezer even after power goes out; they last longer than in coolers. Once thawed, water is drinkable. Put into smaller bottles to carry, or use it from the larger jugs, but keep it clean and uncontaminated.
Buy block ice if possible (from ice companies, boat supply stores, some groceries). It lasts up to three times as long as bagged, cubed ice.
Make your own blocks. When a storm approaches, clean freezer and fill it with stackable containers of water. Large mixing bowls or small buckets work. Freeze, and when frozen, transfer ice blocks to sealable bags.
Buy extra coolers. Smaller areas are easier to chill. Once power goes out, and foods begin to thaw or warm, pack them, tightly, into the bottom of coolers, then top with ice.
Try the bathtub. If not using for water, use for ice. Buy huge blocks and load tub. Cover with tarp. Or fill with cubed ice; cover with newspapers and heavy tarp, then layer of plastic to keep cold in. Use drainplug to save water for other uses.
Put foods under ice, not above it.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Prepare supply list for hurricane season 2024 in Palm Beach County
