10 Severe Weather Prep Tips
As y’all know, our state was devastated by tornadoes a couple of weeks ago. One thing I learned was how unprepared we were for living without electricity. Wow. Talk about an eye-opening experience!
This was our food/snack/diaper stash during the power outage. All the important stuff, you know.
We are working on being much better prepared for whatever comes our way next. I made an awesome discovery during all the bad storms when we had to take cover.
Laundry baskets rock! Here are 10 Things To Load In Your Severe Weather Laundry Basket!
1. Weather Radio – make sure it’s set to sound when warnings are issued.
2. AM/FM Radio with batteries – it was so helpful to have another news source other than the weather radio. Batteries are a must! 🙂
3. Flashlight with batteries – no brainer.
4. Pillows and Blankets – being cozy is the best!
5. Snacks and Bottled Water – little tummy’s will get hungry and thirsty.
6. Diapers and Wipes – of course!
7. Stuffed Animal or Blanket for Littles – anything to comfort and help your little ones feel safe.
8. Camera and Video Camera – am I the only one who would love to photograph or video a tornado? as long as it’s really far away?
9. Cords and Chargers – try to have everything fully charged in case the power goes out.
10. A plan of where to meet – it was terrifying to not be able to get in touch with my hubby after the storms. we need to work out the exact place where we will meet if something happens.
What do you do to prepare for severe weather?? I would love to hear your tips!
Linked to: Top Ten Tuesday, Things I Love Thursday
Our county was spared in Tenn. but our neighboring county – Greene– had 6 or 7 deaths. Husband’s 92 yr old mother survived the EF5 Phil Campbell AL tornado by the grace of God alone. From now on, when we have to head to the basement, gonna have on jeans – instead of shorts — and may try to throw a jacket on to protect arms from the debris, etc. And not wear flipflops — that is , if we have enough warning. The rubble itself poses such a hazard. Thankful your family is okay!
(Not meaning to post twice –but I left incorrect email on first msg…duh!)
Ya gotta have your Kix!
Seriously, though…great post!
Blessings,
Kristine
Kristine´s last blog post ..Im moving!
I keep an old non-electric telephone in my emergency stash. It will still work even if the power is out.
Ya know…#8 would be really cool! I do like watching those videos on television…all those storm chasers. They’re some brave people!
I live around a tourists area, so we have to have a pass in our vehicle at all times. It allows us to get back into the area after a storm, (should we have to evacuate.) We’re coming up on hurricane season here in Florida, and it can always be a bit scary at times…(especially when my husband is deployed during that time.) Besides, being in the military, they ship our guys out if there is a need to evacuate. (Yeah, they take care of their own.) I’m always wonder how he’lll know where we’re at if we have to leave. Our meeting place is my parent’s house in Georgia, but sometimes the storms are coming right through there. It must have been really scary to not know where your husband was during that time.
In addition to what you’ve listed here, I have to stock an emergency supply of pet food.
Kristine´s last blog post ..Im moving!
Oh yes!!! I took about……50 pictures of the GREEN skies and swirling clouds….the only one outside watching the scary storms!! =)
Can opener, sterno, lighter/matches, cooking implements, silverware, charcoal… I once cooked dinner on an old camp stove that we had no fuel for with 2 cans of sterno under the grill and a frying pan. It takes a while, but it worked and the children went to bed happy. 2 cans of Sterno are better than 1
The phone or video would also be good to have from a practical standpoint. You’d want to get photos off to the insurance company right away for a claim. 🙂
Amanda @ Serenity Now´s last blog post ..Commenting 101- Technical How-To 1
I cant thank you enough for those ideas! I know to any normal person that may sound obvious but I am an Arizona native, the closest thing to a storm we have out here is what my New Yorker husband calls “sprinkling”! We are a few weeks away from moving to northern Missouri and in for a lot of change when it comes to the weather. So little ideas like this are a blessing to a girl like me. I would be in that storm shelter with nothing:) Thank you again! 🙂
So glad to hear you are all safe. Love this list and especially the laundry basket idea! Isn’t it funny how laundry baskets can be so multi-purposeful… is that a word? Anyway, great tips! We moved from earthquake threats in Southern California to tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms in Western PA. What’s worse, is I hate our basement. It’s unfinished…dark…scary…but I have to go in there to do our laundry, so I’m making peace with it and I’m sure I wouldn’t hesitate to retreat there with my kids if we had to for our safety.
Many blessings,
Rosann
Rosann´s last blog post ..By- finding joy in the day in and day out – Christian Forums
We live in Las Vegas where there isn’t any weather…..hot or not. But, I have a backpack in the coat closet nearest our front door. If there is any sort of emergency I can grab it and go. It has the usual things….chg of clothes, toiletters, money, snacks, water, medication, and dog food. Everything you might need if you were displaced for a few days. I chg things out about every 3 months to make sure nothing has expired and the clothes still fit. Medication is a good one to add to your list of item.
My mother has purchased a flashlight that you shake up & down to get light, instead of having batteries. She also has a weather radio that has a handle you wind up to run it, again instead of batteries. I also think a book or magazine to flip through would be useful. And how about your precious photographs, prescriptions, pet leashes/collars/food, important papers, & personal hygiene products.
Actually, always try to keep your car at least 1/2 full of gas. If the power is out, the pumps can’t pump. And if you’re on empty, you’re out of luck.
I began a list of things back in 2001 when Houston got hit with a bad storm. Can’t remember the name. But I never put together the list. I just have a lot of emails to myself with ideas and suggestions from other people. The above list of mine is not a comprehensive list by any means, but I hope it serves to remind people that there are all kinds of things to think of. I think it would probably serve me well to finish that list. Still living in the Houston area, I may need it someday.
Like Kimberly we keep backpacks full of emergency items: change of cloths including underwear, shoes, water, money, flashlight, SS card, birth certificates, immunization records, passports, phones and chargers in case we end up some where we can charge our phones. We have a cat and have food and cat litter for her too. We keep a bin in the basement with blankets, and jackets. We try to keep
nonperishable food items, and a first aid kit and we keep our meds close and easy to grab. Living in Missouri with lots of severe storms and tornadoes some items live in the basement so we are not trying to carry too many things out the door. We are campers so a lot of those items can be used when we have no electricity which happens a lot in the winter with ice storms. My daughter always keeps books with her to keep herself occupied along with her Zune.
@Monica, go to the red cross website they have a list of items they suggest to keep on hand, you can always revamp it to fit your family/household.
toilet paper!!!!
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