Hurricane foods (insurance, credit, Home Depot)

[Oobie119]

Just wanted to hear from other locals. This could also be helpful to those who just relocated : )

I stocked up on some supplies today, mostly our food supplies for the season. We have a huge grill, and have enough charcoal so we would do what we could do grill weather permitting. Other than canned foods, what are some of your staple food items for hurricane season??

[TRosa]

I should be ashamed of myself, just today did inventory at the Red Cross for their emergency stock supplies, yet I haven't restocked my own. I do have a supply of bottled water, a couple of cans of pinto beans, one can of Salmon all in the back of food pantry though.

Thanks for the reminder, this really is a matter to take serious and I will get busy restocking for myself. probably add few cans of fish steaks, easy open foods you can eat right out of their package.

[Oobie119]

Indeed, especially with the possibility of DEBBIE brewing...

[photoman_6]

i know they're not the tastiest, but" spam, canned beef stew, any kind of canned beans, potted meats, tuna and chicken meat in cans.
Don't forget condiments, such as paackets of mayo, mustard, catsup, relish. Also mexican salsa, canned pickles and peppers,

[Frida7]

Water, water, water! Peanut butter, beans, canned fruit.
Then there's the non food items, batteries, flashlights, candles & matches, & the ever important weather radio.

[blueherons]

Always fill your tub with water so you can still flush your toliet if you lose power.

We stock peanut butter, beer, beefaroni, squirt cheese, nuts, etc.

[Sunshine Rules]

Lots of great advice already given, so I will try not to duplicate.

One of the things I learned from my very first big tropical storm was to make sure you have a non-electric can opener! When the power goes off you have to have a way to open your supply of can goods.

Besides canned goods, it's also a good idea to check your supply of soap, hygiene products and toilet paper. (The toilet paper, bread, peanut butter and canned meats disappear off the grocery shelves quickly whenever there is an immediate threat of a major storm.)

It wouldn't hurt to have some sheets of heavy plastic or a plastic tarp (you can find those at Home Depot or Lowe's) just in case a window would break or your roof starts leaking.

If you have family members on medication, be sure you have a sufficient supply on hand to last a week or two. I also check my own medical supplies such as bandaids, antibiotic ointment, aspirin, bug repellant, etc to make sure I'm stocked up and nothing is past the expiration dates.

Have a radio that is battery operated so you can hear weather and news reports when the power goes out. The local music stations will all switch to news broadcasting so you can find out about power outages, blocked or flooded roads, storm damage and other news not supplied by a weather radio.

Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and your car tank full of gasoline as the pumps don't work when the electric is off. Have some cash on hand as you won't be able to use your credit or debit cards if the power is off for a few days.

It's a good idea to create an emergency container (large, plastic box with tight lid such as storage containers) for hurricane season to hold your important papers such as birth certificates, insurance policies and personal items you would want to take with you if you had to vacate your home on short notice.

It's also a good idea now to make a video or photo inventory of the interior of your home, your furnishings, your special items, etc and tuck it in your emergency container in case you do need it later for your insurance company.

Before the storm, you'll want to prepare the outside of your home. Check your trees for dead branches that should be removed, bring in all outdoor furniture, BBQ grills, yard ornaments, trash cans, etc. Anything that is light enough to blow in strong winds.

[TRosa]

You all have offered some really great tips that I forgot to think about BTW, for those allergic to heat you might want to have on hand a couple of battery operated fans, I have one from my days of camping. Yes, I was one of those camping people that practically had a spa set up in my tent.

one of these types will do:

Amazon.com: battery operated fan


I'm rarely without a supply of batteries, but will be making sure I restock the D's and add peanut butter to the list, will die before eatting spam, (not kidding,) the plastic container, is a must, do have on one or two on hand. Might even be a good idea to add a couple of life jackets to the mix, one never knows if they'll come in handy, don't forget to include one for the pet.

You of course can pic up a copy of a emergency preparedness list from most anywhere around your county, but here's a nice link to a Red Crost list:

April is Earthquake Preparedness Month | American Red Cross | News

[City__Datarer]

I like the cartons of milk (on the aisle, no refrigeration needed) much better than the canned evaporated milk. Being able to start a day without power with a good cup of something that resembles my usual morning coffee helps a lot!

You can buy flashlights and portable radios that you crank (if the power outage outlasts your battery supply). You have to crank a lot for a little, so they're really just for a minute of emergency use, not to run continually.

Also suggest making blocks of ice (filling plastic containers) as they melt more slowly in a cooler than ice cubes. Especially for the storms earlier in the season--when the AC goes off in August (I'm remembering August 2004), being able to drink something cold makes all the difference!

[Rushmore]

And maybe some bottled water.