As fellow Floridians, we here at VYRD know firsthand how fast a storm can churn from a tropical storm into a full-blown hurricane – possibly putting your property in its path of damage. So, quite naturally, we are big fans of being hurricane-prepared!

When a storm suddenly makes a turn straight for your community, you don’t want to be that family making a mad rush to the store to collect food, water, and other supplies. Instead, if you stock up now, you can focus on staying safe when the storm arrives.

As we note on VYRD’s Hurricane Preparedness page, the most important thing to do is have enough non-perishable food, water and medicine to last each person (and pet) in your family for a minimum of 3 days (and store extra water, if possible). Additionally, FEMA’s Ready.gov website recommends stocking emergency supplies including:

• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlights (and batteries)
• First aid kit (as well as extra prescription and over-the-counter medications for people and pets)
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
• Personal care items (moist towelettes, feminine products, etc.)
• Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
• Manual can opener (for food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
• Sleeping bag and/or blankets for everyone
• Diapers, bottles, formula and wipes (if needed)
• Paper towels, plates, plastic utensils, garbage bags and plastic ties
• Pens, pencils, crayons, coloring/puzzle books, pads of paper, playing cards
• Extra dog leash, collar, ID tag, crate, litter, favorite pet toy or blanket
• Extra cash

Keep all of this in a few bags or containers that can be easily carried if necessary. While the official Hurricane Season runs June 1 – November 30, hurricanes (or tropical cyclones) can form any time conditions are right so being prepared any time of the year is never a bad idea. The better we prepare our homes and families for hurricane season, the quicker we can react to protect all the things in our lives that we love.