I am not talking about the University of Miami’s football team here, which is a much anticipated season, but rather the real hurricane season, which is right around the corner officially beginning June 1. Whether you recently moved here or have lived here for ever, now is the time to prepare your property. There are a million hurricane guides, issued by everyone from the Miami Herald, the State of Florida, Miami-Dade County, and the University of Miami, to help students away from home prepare for a storm.
The links above are great for the specifics of how to address the main items you need to consider:
1) Have a plan. Where will you go if you have to evacuate? Will you be able to take your pets? If you don’t need to evacuate, make sure you have all the supplies you will need to take care of yourself, family and pets for at least 5 days after a storm. This includes cash, gas, food, water, flashlights/batteries and prescriptions.
2) Record and secure your belongings. Take pictures or, better yet, video of your entire property: outside and inside, room by room. Make sure you have all of your insurance and bank information in a safe place that you can take with you if you need to evacuate. Make sure you have shutters or plywood before the season starts. You don’t want to be running around at the last minute with all of the other procrastinators looking for supplies.
Related Reads:
Preparing for a Hurricane – A Way of Life in South Florida