Categories
Hurricanes

Miami Counts Down to Hurricane Season

hurricaneflagI 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

Categories
Hurricanes Resources

Preparing for a Hurricane – A Way of Life in South Florida

If you recently moved from outside of a hurricane zone, you are in for some excitement and new lessons from Mother Nature.  Hurricane season officially starts June 1 and storms can approach rapidly, so it pays to inform yourself on what you need to do now to be ready when a storm approaches.  The good thing about a hurricane, compared to other natural occurrences such as earthquakes and tornadoes, is that you did get warning and have time to safeguard yourself, your property, pets, and family.  Believe me, having lived through several, it pays to be prepared!

This year, Hurricane Preparedness Week will be held May 24 through May 30.  NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, conveniently located in South Florida, has a comprehensive hurricane plan.

Even though you may remember the pictures of Louisiana after Katrina, take the time to watch the video below to see the damage a storm is capable of.  Hurricane Wilma came toward the end of the season and still managed to do quite a bit of damage to South Florida

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOgdYCvGvQw[/youtube]

Categories
Environmental Freebies Home Improvement

Free Trees Help Beautify Your Yard and Conserve Energy

The right landscaping  can help you save money.  Properly positioned, plants will  shade your home and tree-resizedlower cooling costs.  Using plants that don’t require a lot of water can minimize water usage while still allowing you to have a beautiful yard.

Miami-Dade County wants to encourage tree planting and offers the popular “Adopt-a-Tree” program several times a year throughout the County.

Achieving and maintaining a Florida-friendly yard, one that requires minimum watering and maintenance, is a great way to improve your home.

Other home improvement articles:

Free High Efficiency Shower Heads

Categories
Environmental Freebies Home Improvement

Free High-Efficiency Shower Heads and Rebates to Conserve Water and Save $$

Water conservation is extremely important in Florida.  Even though we are surrounded by water, we are in the middle stop-signof a several-year drought and we all need to do our part to save water.  In addition to complying with current watering restrictions, there are steps you can take around your home to cut down water use.

Miami-Dade County has a program to exchange your old shower head and get a free, high-efficiency shower head.  They also offer rebates to homeowners who replace an old toilet with a high-efficiency one.

Categories
Coral Gables Freebies Neighborhood News

Free and Fun First Fridays Gallery Walk in Coral Gables, FL

What does a Friday night with free music, wine, cheese and art gallery visits mean?  It must be Gallery Walk Night in Coral Gables!  Visit with the artists and discuss their work or just look at the art, nibble and sip the goodies, and enjoy the evening.  From 7-10 pm the first Friday of every month.