Hurricane preparedness and kits are a necessity for people who live in areas that are prone to hurricanes, especially now that category four and five hurricanes are becoming more prevalent due to global warming. In fact, households in areas where hurricane rarely pass should also prepare somehow because of the erratic behavior of hurricanes in recent years. According to government officials, hurricane emergency kits and the people's preparedness are the keys to surviving the hurricane season.



The huge loss of properties and lives from hurricanes Katrina and Rita have made a lot of people realize that planning is as important as having hurricane preparedness and kits. Even before the hurricane season starts, everyone who lives in places that are usually hit by storms should already do house repairs if necessary. Roofs, windows, ceilings, basements or cellars should be checked for leaks, cracks and anything that could make your home more vulnerable to strong winds and rain brought by hurricanes. It is also necessary that every home should have some kind of action plan for when the hurricane hits. Special plans should also be in place for members of your family who are old, very young, or disabled.

Hurricane preparedness and kits should contain basic necessities, such as several gallons of clean drinking water and non-perishable food. However, you must regularly check the food and change the water in your hurricane emergency kits every six months. Your kits would not be of any help if they contain food and water supply that is stale or expired. Since there will definitely be power outage or unavailability of gas, you should also include candles, flashlights, transistor radio and waterproof matches in your kits. It would be better if the flashlight and the transistor radio that you use are hand-cranked so you do not have to think about buying batteries.

There is a big chance that your home will not survive the hurricane, so you should not forget to include important documents as part of your emergency kits. Just make sure that you put important papers inside waterproof document storage bags. You should also add into your hurricane emergency kits tools like shovels, axes and machetes to help you gather wood for cooking or help your family get out in case you are trapped inside your home. Also, pack some clothes, blankets, personal hygiene and sanitation implements, medicine and other basic items that your family needs and if you have pets, small children or elderly folks living with you, include items that they will need as well.