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As a born-and-raised Floridian, Ive experienced firsthand what its like to weather hurricane seasons for over twenty years.
Growing up, I observed my parents prepare their house and family to weather the storm.
Credit:Travel + Leisure / Arshed Arif
The chaos of back-to-back hurricanes taught me a critical lesson: prepare for the worst.
Dont wait to build your own hurricane kit.
During Hurricane Ian in 2022, the flooding in Central Florida was unprecedented.
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If water treatment centers lose power or experience flooding, you want to avoid drinking water from the tap.
Then, once the jugs melted, we had more fresh drinking water.
Finally, dont forget about having enough pet food for your animals.
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Stock up on canned, shelf-stable soups, beans, and camp meals that wont spoil.
Youll want disinfectant, sterile bandages, burn patches, antiseptic wipes, and pain reliever available.
Some power banks can be recharged using solar panels and a solar charger.
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double-check your battery bank is fully juiced up ahead of the storm.
These radios also come in versions powered by hand-crank or solar panels if you dont want to use batteries.
Gas-powered generators are noisy, energy inefficient, and pose a carbon monoxide danger if used incorrectly.
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Thats why I recommend todays powerful battery generators.
And, EcoFlows generators can be recharged with solar panels.
Plus, itll help you sleep better during the hot, non-air-conditioned nights after the storm.
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These items are all flashlights and lanterns, and they can be recharged via solar.
Look for waterproof LED lights in case you drop it in floodwaters or expose it to the elements outside.
A large branch had pierced our roof and rain had poured in.
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It would be months before repairs could be made.
Until then, we needed a way to patch the hole to prevent more elements from damaging the home.
Duct tape is also handy for securing tarps or even patching tires in a pinch.
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A waterproof document holder ensures your critical paperwork survives the storm.
Always keep copies of important documents in digital form as well, stored securely in the cloud.
As they make landfall, they destroy homes and kick up construction materials into the air.
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Use antibacterial hand sanitizer and sanitization wipes to keep your hands clean and bacteria-free.
Theyre CDC-compliant and effective against 99.9 percent of bacteria, fungi and viruses.
A fire extinguisher will help you respond quickly to small fires or sparks near your home.
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verify its rated for both electrical and grease fires.
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