Preparing for Hurricane Season 2015

I hate to say it but it’s that time of the year again.  Today is the first day of Hurricane Season 2015 and it’s crucial that we are prepared. Although the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) predicts an easy season for the East Coast, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ready.  Hurricane Season runs from June 1st to November 30th and The Washington Posts informs us that:

The NOAA cautions that even a below-average season can still be active in terms of landfalls and damage, and that preparedness is crucial no matter the outlook.

Lucky for us, Miami-Dade provides a pretty comprehensive manual for Hurricane Readiness (DOWNLOAD PDF HERE – Hurricane Guide 2015).  This will not help you if you read it once a hurricane is upon us.  The Miamism Sales team urges you to take the time to familiarize yourself with the manual and start getting supplies ready. Things you should know:

• Are you within an evacuation area?
• Cleanup before a storm is very important – stay on top of waste collection news by the media and your own neighborhood.
• Have battery-powered radio/television to monitor weather during a storm
• Storm surge planning zones are key after a storm has hit
• The phone number to dial is 3-1-1 for up-to-the-minute government information and services
• Familiarize yourself with nearby shelters in case you have to evacuate.
• A lot of injuries and fatalities happen after a storm, be diligent and follow county’s recommendations

Hurricane Types

And lastly, let’s revive an old hurricane preparedness post that identifies different types of hurricane people.  Which one are you?

• The overachiever or HURRICATIONIST:  ready with hurricane prevention everything before the season even starts.  They have extra batteries and water, special radio allocated for hurricane related news, numbered shutters, extra gasoline, tests generator every 3 months all year-long …. you get the idea.

• The hurricane alarmist – the one that calls everyone and their mother at the sign of the first red spot on the Atlantic Ocean to make sure they are ready.  They will usually start making everyone go get supplies and start putting shutters up when the media first mentions the word “storm.”

• The hurricane pragmatic – we love hurricane pragmatics.  They are sensible and realistic.  They get supplies without alarm, they offer their help to neighbors and seem to have a third sense about the reality of a hurricane approaching or not.

• The hurricane questioner – this is the person that keeps asking, should we prepare? should we secure things? what if Publix is packed?  What if there’s a line at the gas station?

• The hurricane opportunist – this is the one that decides to take a vacation at every mention of a hurricane approaching.  Why make your life miserable by worrying?  Just leave and avoid the mess.

• The hurricane wishy-washy – you know who you are – you put up partial shutters, fill up only one car with gas, buy a couple of gallons of water and keep telling yourself that it will not come your way. (It has worked for you for years, why change now?)

• The hurricane second handed – this is the person who has a loved one that will make all of the hurricane decisions.  They will not even watch the news and leave the worrying to someone else.  They will help if asked, but will not contribute any opinion to the cause.

• The hurricane last minuter – the one that makes the world go on anxiety medication because they decide to secure the property when hurricane winds have already started.