It's getting close to the end of August, and I'm working on a property in Florida. Hard to believe it's already Hurricane Season, but the threats of bad weather are very real, regardless of your location. Down here we have hurricanes and terrific thunderstorms; in other parts of the U.S., you have snow storms, tornados and other climate disasters. Spending a little time getting organized will save your family a LOT of stress and discomfort if you do find yourself affected by the weather.
I found the following chart on Berkshire Hathaway's website. It's pretty simple, so take a few minutes to collect these items from around the house and stash them in one place for easy retrieval. Share the location of your emergency box with family members and everyone will find it easier to deal with power outages.
Flashlight and extra batteries
Non-perishable foods and water (canned food, for example, like hash or tuna)
Cooler for items in refrigerator, along with a bag of ice in the freezer
First aid kit
Necessary medications
Blankets
Small toolkit (pliers, wrench, screwdriver)
Non-cordless telephone (if you still have a wired phone line)
Mobile phone & portable charger
Radio (with Weather-Band)
Logs for fireplace (if available)
Additionally, I have bought inexpensive LED lanterns for my house, and they are needed pretty frequently. So much safer than candles, these small lanterns give off a lot of light and they last a long time. I keep them on the top shelf above my pantry, to be accessible yet out of the way.
What steps have you taken to be ready for storm season? Are YOU prepared for the lights to go out?