Florida is no stranger to hurricanes such as Hurricanes Andrew, Wilma, Matthew, and Charley. Mega’s headquarters is based out of Tampa, Florida, we serve the entire state of Florida and we want to make sure that everyone is prepared for hurricane season. With Hurricane Irma eyeing the great state of Florida we compiled a list of some crucial tips to prepare for the storm:
- Make a plan for evacuation – Leave as early as possible to avoid traffic. Make a communication plan and be sure to keep an eye on the news for updates and evacuation routes if the time comes to leave your home. Being sure that you have a relative or friend to stay without of the path of the hurricane is very important to arrange in advance.
- Supplies – Buy supplies early! Get jugs of water, candles, a first aid kit, canned food, freeze-dried food, batteries. Stock up on grill supplies (propane, charcoal, lighters), something you can rely upon to cook food in the case that you are without power for long periods of time. Purchase an NOAA weather crank-powered radio with USB and solar, kerosene, battery-powered, camping lanterns as well.
- Prepare your home – We have all seen the tragic flooding footage on the news after a big storm. If you are unable to evacuate be sure to secure your home. Be sure to board up windows and purchase sandbags to do the best you can to fend off flooding. Takedown any items that are prone to the wind, if you haven’t already been sure to trim any trees on your property. Put out of flood reach any furniture or items you can’t bring with you in case of evacuation.
- Store Important Papers – Purchase a waterproof lockbox to store any important documents such as deeds, titles, photos, contracts away in case of flooding.
Here are a few tips directly from a friend of Mega from Hurricane Harvey survivors.
- Drain your pool a little to compensate for flooding. (We drained ours every 30 minutes…saved our butts!)
- Freeze water bottles (if electricity loss, can be used to keep items cold)
- Cover French drains with a gutter wire. This prevented debris from getting suck in our drain.
- WET WIPES – people displaced couldn’t/can’t shower.
- Have extra gas in gas cans ready for your guys.
- Buy gallons of water to have on-site to offer residents if needed.
- Have trash bags available.
- SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS…we ran out of food along with thousands of others
- Get residents’ updated contact info.
These are just some of the things you can do to prep your home for a hurricane. It is important to make sure you plan and prepare in advance. For more information on preparing for a hurricane, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.
We care about our community and we want to make sure that everyone stays safe this hurricane season and is ready. Our 3R Guarantee of Relationships, Reliability, and Results is our foundation that we stand by to support those we care about and the communities around them.
Here is a full list of supplies
❏ Water—at least a 3-day supply (minimum); one
gallon per person per day
❏ Food—at least a 3-day (minimum) supply of
non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food
❏ Flashlight
❏ Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
(NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
❏ Extra batteries
❏ First aid kit
❏ Medications (7-day supply) and medical
items (hearing aids with extra batteries,
glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
❏ Multi-purpose tool
❏ Sanitation and personal hygiene items
❏ Copies of personal documents
(medication list and pertinent medical
information, proof of address,
deed/lease to home, passports, birth
certificates, insurance policies)
❏ Cell phone with chargers
❏ Family and emergency contact
information
❏ Extra cash
❏ Emergency blanket
❏ Map(s) of the area
❏ Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby
food, diapers)
❏ Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food,
carrier, bowl)
❏ Tools/supplies for securing your home
❏ Extra set of car keys and house keys
❏ Extra clothing, hat, and sturdy shoes
❏ Rain gear
❏ Insect repellent and sunscreen
❏ Camera for photos of the damage
