The 6 Items People Most Often Forget When Preparing for a Hurricane

We’re approaching the end of hurricane season–Alex, Bonnie, and Colin (and perhaps Danielle) are already in the rearview mirror–but that doesn’t mean we should let down our guard. Meteorologists predict we could still see Earl, Fiona, and Gaston before the end of 2022.

By now, anyone living near the Texas Gulf Coast is probably familiar with the basic supplies they need on hand in case a storm strikes–including batteries, water, flashlights, and transistor radios. But there are some items people don’t realize they need until after they’ve lived through a tropical depression that turned into a tropical storm, and perhaps a full-fledged hurricane. Here is a list collected from Texans who’ve been there, done that:

(1) Cash: Nowadays, most of us habitually pull out our debit or credit cards to pay for everyday necessities. We forget that during a severe storm, the power grids on which automatic payment systems rely may go down. So you’ll want to have $50-$100 on hand in small denominations (ones, fives, tens, twenties), plus quarters, dimes, and nickels for coin-operated machines.

(2) An emergency whistle: If you are stranded, a whistle can help you signal for help. They’re easier than shouting, and they can be heard very far away. You’ll want a professional-grade metal whistle, not the plastic kind. They can be found at sporting goods stores.

(3) A portable solar charger: You’ll need a solar charger to supply electricity to your devices or batteries. Find one that includes portable solar panels, a converter, and batteries. Note that the wattage amount is the best indicator of charging power, not the size of the panels. A phone can be charged using a 10-15-watt charger, so you’ll want a charger with at least that amount of wattage.

(4) Entertainment items: Books, playing cards, board games, toys, drawing pads, and crayons. If the grid goes down and you can’t use your phone, you’ll have to fall back on pre-internet amusements like Scrabble®, Monopoly®,  and similar activities to pass the time. Heck, you may even enjoy them so much that you’ll want to continue playing even after the power comes back on.

(5) Sanitation Supplies, Baby Wipes, Personal Hygiene Items:

Anyone who’s gone camping knows the necessity of having plenty of cleanup wipes and hand sanitizer with them. This is especially so during a storm. The Red Cross says that during a natural disaster, more people die from unsanitary conditions than from the natural disaster itself. So if in doubt about how much to buy, get more rather than less.

(6) Waterproof Matches: But if you can’t find any waterproof matches, you can store regular matches in a plastic container to keep them safe and dry.

Additional items you won’t want to forget

Insect Repellent: Bug bites can make an already uncomfortable situation even worse, and heavy winds often blow in insects, so bring bug spray and bug-repellent cream or ointment to rub on your skin.

Manual Can Opener: You’ll need a manual can opener to open up canned goods when there’s no power.

Manfred Sternberg & Associates is a full-service law firm in Houston, Texas.

If you suffer storm damage and have trouble collecting on an insurance claim, contact us here or call us at 713-547-5460.