10 Practical Tips to Help Families Prepare for Hurricane Season

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1. Check Gas Tanks

If possible, keep car tanks full and extra gas cans on hand before a storm hits. With everyone filling up, gas stations may run out of gas beforehand or lose power afterward. Following a hurricane hit, we experienced gas rations, increased fuel prices, and gas station lines blocks long, where armed guards were hired to keep the peace among frustrated customers.

Fill up propane tanks, too, for outdoor grills and fire pits. During Hurricane Wilma, we were without power for 12 days, finding ways to cook just about everything on our propane outdoor grill, including chocolate chip cookies.

2. Evaluate Water Supply

Fill bathtubs, sinks, and buckets with water for a good source of bathing and toilet flushing water. Flooding can shut off water sources and cause contamination.

Bottled water and drinks can be difficult to find before a hurricane hits, with everyone stocking up before and afterward. So, in addition to buying them, it’s good to fill and freeze as many 2-liter bottles and containers as possible with water to keep coolers, refrigerators, and freezers cool during a power outage and to use as drinking water as it melts. Milk, cream, lemonade, and fruit juices are also good to freeze beforehand for later use, along with keeping other items cool.

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3. Begin Food Preparation

Cook food already on hand ahead of time for eating during a possible power loss. Boil eggs and bake refrigerated cookies, biscuits, and bread dough; prepare other frozen or refrigerated food that will last longer cooked than if thawed and uncooked.

Stock up on dry and canned foods, if possible, including pet food. We found stores emptied out beforehand with people stocking up. Additionally, stores can become virtually empty for weeks after a storm hits or passes by, especially if roads and transportation have been affected.

For those with gardens and fruit trees, it’s wise to pick and harvest whatever is ready and ripe as hurricane-force winds and rain wipe out and destroy everything in its path. As well, chickens and other outdoor livestock need to be safely sheltered.

4. Lighten Up

In Ephesians 5:8, the Apostle Paul describes who we are as Christians. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

During our 12 days without power, we discovered a powerless neighborhood is pretty dark, especially without a full moon and cloudy skies, so it’s wise to gather candles, matches, solar-powered lights, camping lanterns, and other off-the-grid light sources in case of a power outage.

What better way to be children of light during a hurricane than to offer the comfort of light to a darkened neighborhood? “As Jesus said in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness.”

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5. Replenish Personal Items

Because storm paths and consequences can be unpredictable, refilling low prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, restocking vitamins, and stocking up on personal items such as toilet paper and infant diapers is good. 

If water is limited, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and disinfectant wipes are also good to have on hand, as are first-aid items.

Additionally, because water resources and power may become an issue, we washed clothes, towels, bedding, and dishes ahead of the storm to carry us through the aftermath.

6. Charge Ahead

It’s wise to charge cell phones and battery-operated electronics ahead of time and continuously during hurricane warnings in case of a power outage. Also, it’s good to store up on various-sized batteries for flashlights and other necessities.

If possible, it’s helpful to rent, borrow, or purchase a portable gas generator. During our 12 days without power, my husband ran a small generator each day to recharge necessities.

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7. Keep Cash on Hand

A must-have during and after hurricanes is an old-fashioned supply of cash, as ATMs may not be functioning during power outages, as well as credit and debit card use is limited or unavailable altogether.

If possible, have extra money on hand to lend and extend to neighbors who may have not thought to visit the ATM beforehand. Philippians 2:4 urges, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.”

Likewise, Hebrews 13:16 encourages, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

8. Connect with Neighbors

Because my husband excels at connecting with neighbors before, during, and after a hurricane threat, he made sure to know who would be home and who was evacuating so he could help keep an eye on their homes. He also knew who might be home alone and possibly need assistance.

As well, he worked together concerning resources, with our neighbors offering their generator for our use and my husband loaning useful items to them as needed.

Matthew 22:39 encourages us to love our neighbor as ourselves. So, although adversity may bring out the worst in some people, thankfully it also brings out the best in many individuals. Going through a hurricane with neighbors and local friends often builds a warm camaraderie between individuals.

Also, consider ways of keeping out-of-town relatives and friends updated through social media outlets such as Facebook Safety Checks and Instagram to help them know how to pray for us and also to relieve concerns they may be experiencing on our behalf.

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9. Stay Alert

Ask God to help you stay alert to changing storm conditions and warnings by giving you the calm and thoughtful outlook needed to make wise decisions during stressful and possibly dangerous situations.

Double-check hurricane insurance coverage and make sure vehicles, home, health, and life insurance are all up-to-date. Also, store important documents, including policies, passports, identification cards, birth certificates, and more, in water-resistant files or containers in case of flooding and for easy transport in case of evacuation.

Practice common sense by avoiding some obvious dangers, such as parking cars under trees or leaving items outside that can be blown away or used as projectiles. Besides vehicles, we didn’t leave anything outdoors that wasn’t bolted down.

10. Keep the Peace

Our family witnessed firsthand how the threat of a hurricane hitting an area significantly raises the fear and anxiety level in a community. When speaking and interacting with others, seek to encourage them and offer helpful advice instead of fueling the flames of fear and panic that may be spreading throughout the area.

Offer to pray with individuals and families for God’s care over their lives and homes. As followers of the Prince of Peace, we can offer His peace to others, as 2 Thessalonians 3:16 reminds us. “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”

In trusting God through the storms, He gives us His peace to pass on to those around us who may be feeling anxious and fearful. As Isaiah 26:3 assures, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

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