People moving to FL have had questions about basic preps for hurricanes.  Let's see if we can make this thread the ultimate Hurricane Preps list for Florida or any state.  Reply with your suggestions below.

Keep in mind that a hurricane's aftermath can range from "we were without power for a day, it was no big deal" to "we were without power for 10 days and it was a SHTF/WROL situation" like Hurricane Andrew was to South Florida in the 1990s, when people barricaded their neighborhood entrances and stood armed guard to keep looters away.  

Basic preps:

-Basic home first aid kit, including bandages, antiseptic wash for wounds, and antibiotic cream.
-Water (in gallon or larger jugs) for 7-10 days
-Food that doesn't require refrigeration or cooking for 7-10 days
-Plastic/foam bowls, plates, cups, and plastic knives/forks/spoons for 7-10 days.  Why? Because you might not have clean water or hot water for sanitizing your cookware.

Intermediate preps:

-Generator and fuel.  I prefer a propane generator over a gasoline generator because propane tanks are easier and safer to store than gasoline.  Plus, because propane is stored under pressure, it's simple to hit a U-Haul store with a propane tank and refill your tanks via their mechanical meter that requires no electricity to operate.  Gasoline stations are more likely to run empty.  Use the generator to run the fridge and freezer 2 hours out of every 6-8 to keep contents cold/frozen.
-long electrical cords to reach from generator to fridge/freezer.
-Freezer.  Keep a couple dozen frozen bottles of water in there to keep contents chilled when generator isn't running.

Advanced preps:

-second generator and fuel.
-whole-house generator.

@SGB
@osprey21

would either of you consider tacking this thread in the FL HTF?

Yes it's that time again, about to spring for an inverter genie and keep my old regular one as a back-up.  The way inverters just sip fuel and provide a clean wave are the reasons alone.

That is informational resources on current hurricanes bearing down on FL and the Gulf states, such as weather websites.

It is not about individual preps.

Ran one of my generators a couple days ago... good to go.

Best advice... gas cans, gas cans, gas cans. I'll buy at least 50 gallons (10 5-gal cans full) at the slightest hint of a storm. If nothing develops, I rotate them out filling my truck.

Same with bottled water... I'm getting it now and will eventually use it.

My first hurricane season, just moved to the panhandle. 20 minutes from Pensacola.  So I'm following this. So far have 2 generators, will began filling fuel cans today. Have mre's stashed and a 100gal water bladder for the bathtub. All trees that overhang the house have been converted to firewood. Coleman stoves and lanterns. Window ac unit. Firearms,ammo,cleaning gear. Should stock up on dog food for the mutts

Batteries and battery powered lighting. Candles are not a good idea.

Flashlights and lanterns with replacement batteries and bulbs.

How about running the generator on natural gas?  It's a lot easier and faster to hook up to natural gas than to go out and fill up propane.  If it doesn't come from the store able to run on natural gas, it's usually pretty easy to get a kit (about $200) that will let you safely insert a mount after the carburetor and supply natural gas when it needs it (and not supply it when it's not needed - which is the major safety issue with most natural gas generator hacks).

Add a window unit AC so you don't melt your backside off because your generator is too small to run central AC or isn't wired for it.

Sounds like you're ready... good job remembering the doggos

Thanks, just like Earthquake and wildfire prep in California.  But I'm going to stock up on paper plates etc. I never thought about just burning that instead of washing dishes.

No natural gas near me. Not willing to pay to run it either. But it is steadily come closer to my area,  kinda miss it.way cheaper then electric hvac

Lots of water.  I stock up on bottled water as we will drink it hurricane or not.
Bug spray.  Hurricanes mean lots of water and mosquitoes love water.
Window coverings.  Much easier to get some plywood now cut it to size instead of when a storm is bearing down on you.
Kiddie pool.  Just one of the cheap ones.  Fill with water and use water to flush toilets.
Charcoal, firewoood, propane.  Something to heat up food, coffee, etc.
Battery powered radio and batteries.

I bought two 35-gal trash cans for like $10 each, they have lids. Wash out, fill with water, put a garbage bag over it and the lid seals pretty good. 70 gallons of storage.

I have a waste management can that has always been saved for hurricane waterr.

80 or 100 gals. plus the 20 one gallon jugs we save and fill.

Garage full of plywood marked for which window plus screws.

I bought a second generator to run a window unit and an RV tankless heater for hot water showers.

I performed annual maintenance checks and services on my corkscrew and bottle openers so I am ready to go.
Maybe I should drag the generator out too?

https://www.amazon.com/AquaPodKit-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B00W2BQRG6/ref=pd_sbs_1/133-6389783-9382462?pd_rd_w=KuEvc&pf_rd_p=a35b3889-328a-403a-834b-e40052269fcd&pf_rd_r=4APKFAST2ZE1XJBS05ZM&pd_rd_r=53d5c2f6-18d8-415c-8927-06cd147f6855&pd_rd_wg=WRakV&pd_rd_i=B00W2BQRG6&psc=1#customerReviews

Gas cans are full including boat, just need to put Stabil, always have lots of bottled water and food for us and the pooch (including calming pills for dag), just have to drag the generators out, charge the batteries up and ops check them, charge comms the day before.  shutters take about an hour to put up incase of a cat 3 or more, figure the hurricane windows will do nicely by themselves for a 1 or 2, new metal roof last month and siding repaired last week, about as ready as can be.  And the wife calls me a boy scout.......jeez

I’m writing this more towards a major storm.  These are mostly lessons learned the hard way 24 Aug 1992, and during the aftermath.  We took Andrew’s northern eye wall and lost the pole in the back yard.  We didn’t get power back for 6 weeks.  Some of this is more tuned to those of us living in the suburbs, so take what makes sense.

Food:
- 7 to 10 days of stuff that doesn’t require refrigeration.  More is better, but this will get you through most events.  Think easy prep.  Canned goods, etc.  It is going to be hot, and cooking fuel may be limited.  Heat and eat type stuff can be nice when you’re busting ass all day during cleanup.  All this being said, steak and lobster on the grill is a great morale boost, especially after the first few days.
- Keeping the fridge / freezer cold is a major priority.  Wrapping a movers blanket around it can help add extra insulation.  Just make sure not to block airflow when you're running it on the generator.
- For cooking, a coleman stove with the 20# cylinder adapter works well.  If you are relying on a gas range, make sure it works without power.  I’m under the impression some may not.

Water:
- Get more.  Bottles, jugs, whatever.  Assume 3+ gallons per person / day (drinking + washing, cooking, etc).  Sports drinks / electrolyte replacements are another one to grab.  Expect to sweat.
- The bathtub bladders are a good move.  100 Gallons goes a long way, and gives real peace of mind.  I used one during Irma, but we never lost water pressure, so never came under any boil water order.  The bladders can be a little difficult to get dry afterwards.  
- Have some way to make tap water safe to drink.  Boiling takes a ton of energy.  Something as simple as a sawyer squeeze, setup as a gravity filter can make things easier.

Shelter:
- It’s a TARP.  Tarps are your friend.  Have at least a few on hand.  A roll of Visqueen plastic, especially if you have an asphalt shingle roof, can be a lifesaver.  Have tin caps and roofing nails to go with it too.  Otherwise, you might be drying in your roof using someone’s pool cover that blew into your yard during the storm…
- Placing plastic sheeting / a tarp over any unoccupied bed can help keep the mattress from absorbing water if you lose the ceiling in that room.
- Cut up 4” sections of 2x4 (I know, I know $$$) make good cribbing to raise important furniture off the floor.  If you end up with water in the house, it will wick through the carpet and soak into any wood touching the floor.  This gives you some margin, while still letting you use the furniture.  A bunch of these fit inside a 5-gallon bucket when not in use.
- Speaking of carpet.  Have a carpet knife and spare blades.  If you lose the sheeting on the roof, but keep the wood, you should be able to dry it in after the storm passes.  Unfortunately, you probably won’t have the ability to remove the rainwater from the carpet if the power is out.  The carpet pad is going to act like a sponge and turn into a moldy mess quick.  Be ready to remove any wet carpet from the house along with the pad underneath.  Then open the windows and air out the house.  Try to get the inside as dry as possible.  Black mold can set in faster than you think.
- Contractor trash bags are another one to have on hand.  There will be plenty of cleanup to do after a major storm.  These are also a great thing to cover valuables / electronics prior to landfall.  Pretend it’s raining inside your house.  What do you want to stay dry?
- If you are in an area that is prone to flooding, consider placing electronics and valuables on top of tables, or counters.  
- A window shaker AC that can run off your genny is a good investment.  Cool the master bedroom.  It will help you sleep, which makes all this a hell of a lot easier.  Depending on size / layout, you may need to sub-divide the room with blankets / etc.
- Having a box fan to move some air around also helps a lot during the day.
- Many of us are not used to keeping our houses opened up anymore.  Have screens you can put in doorways and windows.  It will help keep flies out of the house.  Also note, that until they start spraying heavily, the mosquitoes are going to get THICK.  All those nice pools in your neighborhood make a perfect breeding ground once the power goes out.

Energy:
Assuming you don’t have a whole house setup (or as a backup):
- Generator with fuel, duh.  Have a safe place to store the fuel.  Do not store the cans over the fireplace or next to the gas hot water heater.  If you have a pool, try to get a generator big enough to run the pump.  I’ll explain why later.  Standard safety rules apply to running a generator.  Darwin is watching.
- Have extra oil for the generator too.  In a major event, you may have to do an oil change or two before you get power back.
- Extension cords and power strips.  Yes, there are other options, but these are simple, safe and cheap.  Please don’t backfeed the grid.  If you want to hook into your panel, there are inexpensive ways to do it right.  Suicide cords are called that for a reason.  Remember, you are not going to be in a great state of mind when all this goes down.  Make the things that can get someone killed hard to screw up.
- You aren't going to be running a normal backup generator during the storm.  Having a deep cycle battery with an inverter hooked to it gives you power to charge phones, run small lights, and charge eneloop AAs and AAAs.  This was really useful during Irma.  

Security:
- When the power goes out, it gets DARK.  It is also going to be hot as balls, and you are going to want to have the windows open.  This presents a security risk, so be mindful of what you are leaving open.
- Hardware is fun, but know your neighbors.   Most of us suck at this now days, myself included.  Pulling a grill out front, and cooking some burgers for the people around you is a good way to get everyone together, and on the same page.
- You’d be surprised who will steal from their neighbors.  Keep an eye on your stuff, and try to avoid leaving things out.
- If you are going to run a generator at night, have a way to chain it up.  There’s a story.  After one storm, a guy is sleeping.  He wakes up, wondering why the room is hot.  Hearing his generator, he walks out back to troubleshoot.  Sitting there where his generator used to be… was his running lawn mower. This is probably just legend, but illustrates the point.

Sanitation:
- This is heavily dependent on your infrastructure situation.  Septic will continue to work as long as you have water to flush with.  
- Sewer can be a different story, but I will state right here that I’m not any type of expert on the design of these systems.  I may be way off, and if anyone knows better, please correct me.
- Sewage flows downhill to a lift station.  If the lift station has no power, then the waste will back up until it gets to the first point of relief.  I don’t know much of anything about the detailed system design here… but I wouldn’t buy the closest house to the lift station.  You might become the relief valve.
- In the event you lose water pressure, a bucket with some bags and some feline pine kitty litter can act as a backup.
- I’ll second the paper plates, disposable utensils, etc.  It isn’t something you’ll want to do long term, but it helps keep the stress down during the initial event.

Health / Safety:
- If you’re on meds have extra.  Expect to do some basic first aid, and have that stuff on hand.  Try to keep as clean as you can.
- If you have a pool and can run the pump it’s an unbelievable help.  Windblown debris is likely going to foul the pool.  Get it cleaned out and get the pump going.  Remember, it’s hot as hell and you’re probably doing more physical labor than you’re used to.  Having the ability to hop in the pool for a few minutes and cool off changes the game.  It was a huge lesson we learned, and made a big difference in morale.
- There will be nails/staples literally everywhere.  I’m normally all for running around barefoot, but post-event, anyone going outside wears shoes.  Period.  A punctured foot sucks under normal conditions, don’t make the situation worse by getting tetanus after the storm.
- Try to keep from getting hurt in general.  A time like this requires more caution, not less.

One last thought:
- If possible, try to make your kids part of the solution, instead of another problem.  At ten years old, I helped dry in our roof, cook/grill, and ran the generator.  But only you know your kids’ maturity level.  I look back on this as an adventure.  It’s a good memory, and a formative experience.  I wouldn’t trade it… but it’s also not really something I’d like to repeat as an adult.

This is a recurring topic, could you at least set it to not archive?

Might want to invest in a solar charger. Depending upon the panel size and quality, you can charge multiple devices in about 2 hours in bright sun, a little longer in overcast conditions. Plus, it is a great item to have in the truck or boat too.

I have two Jackery 500wh power stations, and a set of solar panels that can charge one up in 6-8 hours based on my testing.  So we can rotate them.  We can plug a box fan into it to get airflow, and we can recharge the 18650 batteries in portable personal fans.

Side note:  the solar panels charge the Jackery much faster if you're using them outdoors in direct sunlight, and not inside a screened birdcage that cuts 30-40% of solar light  That's why we test things in advance!

Get a dozen or so solar powered LED driveway lights.     Outside to charge during the day, spread throughout the house at night.  
 
Enough light to navigate through the dark house and can be used for simple tasks up close.   No candles or using up batteries for mundane tasks.    

Can be had for a buck a piece every fall on clearance.

Is this thread for New Yorker's.

Can't be for homies.

there have been a number of posts in GD from people moving to FL asking what preps they need. I figured this would give an easy reference.

Yes, it is a good reference but they are still causing traffic jams.

No personnal offense. I am just a butthole.

All of #1, gas & boolets.  I'm good.

cost/benefit study.  Everyone should do one.  I have been through more hurricanes than most, if not because of location, because of age.   I'd suggest just covering the basics of food, water, shelter and security for a couple of weeks max.  You can spend your entire time and fortune prepping for the ultimate hurricane, but I doubt it will turn out to be worth the effort or expense.

Take whatever you think you will eat or drink and double it, even triple. You will either work cleaning up/repair or you may eat out of boredom. Cash, a good mix of bills.

Some things I haven't seen mentioned yet, in no particular order.

A good local map, battery powered am/fm radio, and a police radio scanner.  At least one storm a friend and I sat at the dining room table listening to my police radio and plotting local flooding, looting, and other problems on a map.  Made for great situational awareness and was a relief to know we had no issues close to the house.

Get a family sized bag of cheap chem lights from the party section at wal-mart.  I like to use a paper clip to hang three or four from the ceiling fans before the power goes out.  The power always goes out when it is dark outside and always when no-one has a flashlight handy.  Setting out the lit chem lights as the storm rolls in makes it easy to navigate and multiple ones light almost as good as candles with no fire danger or heat.  Don't forget to put some in the bathrooms.

USB fans and power banks to run them.  I will never live without these in my house during storm season again.  It is so much easier to sleep with a fan running.

Generator safety.  Keep the damn thing out of your garage and away from your house.  Your attic can fill with carbon monoxide through the soffit vents and it can end up inside your house.  Place your running generator at least twenty feet from exterior walls.

Fencing materials, especially if you have animals.  A dozen or so T-posts/U-posts, some farm wire, and u nails can be useful to patch gaps in your fencing that the storm created.  Taking your dog for walks on a leash sucks when you could just let him out into your back yard.

I have never had a problem with water, but one of my SHTF/prep priorities is getting a well with a handpump installed.  Watching youtube videos it seems pretty easy to DIY and would solve any water issues.

Hurricane snacks.  Good for moral and handy food that does not require heating or refrigeration can be good to keep going for limited durations if you just have to sack up and work hard for a while.

Thanks so much for this thread!   We will be moving to FL in a few weeks and this has answered almost all of my questions.

The place we are buying doesn't have natural gas so it looks like a whole house generator is a good idea.  How big of a PITA is it to have a 500-1000 gal propane tank buried for this?

Welcome to the state.  Please vote against what you are fleeing from.

As for the buried propane tank that is going to vary by area.  Best thing you can do is contact your realtor and see if they have any knowledge or suggestions for you.  You could also call a propane delivery service and see if they sell or rent tanks and how much installation is.

We are getting out of this liberal hell hole.  Colorado is a shit state and we are happy to bring our votes to FL to help ensure it stays the way it should be.  

What part of Colorado? I traded Golden for the Keys.

I am up near Loveland.  Can't wait to leave!

How are you liking FL?

Oh that blows.  Yeah definitely cheaper to get propane or keep gas on hand than have natural gas run way out to you.

Great thread, I am good on everything except the generator, I just can't get the wife to realize we need one.
So as soon as we are without power for days I will tell her I told you so.
GTG on food, water and filters, first aid, etc, etc.

Loveland has become a bit insane too.  Very sad.

Picked a couple of these up after a recommendation in one of the other GD hurricane threads. Have used them during several hurricanes now and work fantastic and battery lasts forever. Much better than candles. 10/10, do recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D937SY

Attached File

Also, for the generator, highly recommend a dual-fuel generator so you can use gas or propane. That way if/when your carb gets boinked you can just use the propane in a pinch. Nothing worse than having to dick around with a carb when your fridge needs cooling, wife and kids need a fan, and you can’t get your generator to start.

Additionally, 2 is 1 and 1 is none. Have at least 2 generators.

Just moved here. So its my first hurricane season.  If you want info on Earthquake perps, I got those. Or wildfire tips.

Im one of those newcomers.  And Spartacus thanks for doing this for us newbies to hurricane season

Party before, embrace the suck afterwards.

Cover your ass for a week of food & fuel.

Chances are, you’ll be going back to work sooner than you think, get used to the idea.

People will fight over canned spaghetti, while ignoring the jar of sauce & box of noodles on the next aisle, this is the way.

Stock up on tire plugs, get a good 12V inflator. When roofs come off, so do nails.

Store ice jugs well in advance, it takes time to freeze 10-20 gallons of water. A full jug will split open when it freezes. I fill 1/2, lay it on it’s side, then mostly fill the other 1/2  with cold water after the first side freezes.

Don’t plan on running your loud ass generator 24/7...... just don’t. If you can’t buy a inverter generator, sell a kidney or something.

Get a window unit, make space for everyone to sleep in 1 room.

A big thing to remember, is that this is a fairly localized disaster, if you have fuel to get there, just about everything you need is 30-40 miles away.

Start eating through your deep freeze now. Unless you’re a hunter/fisher/buyer of beef sides, there’s no reason to spend $100 on fuel to keep $100 dollars in groceries that you should’ve eaten or tossed beforehand. Disposing of quickly spoiling freezer contents can be problematic after a major storm. Don’t get tied to running a generator in attempt to keep a freezer frozen. Think about fueling up your generator before leaving for work.....no bueno.
You’ll likely be using your freezer as the fridge after a few days anyway.

3 words.   Mike’s Weather Page.





Learn your home’s electrical panel workings.  Learn how to backfeed your house through a exterior outlet. You may want to move some breakers from side to side, so your fridge & bedroom (or living room) are on the same leg while you’re back feeding on a 120V generator.
Likewise, you could also run the whole house on a small 120V unit with some more in depth preparation and knowledge.
When things get sparky, and the green fireworks start popping around town, I disconnect from the grid, and connect the whole house (both legs) on a Harbor Freight 800W 2 stroke TailGator.  (Manage your loads!) It gets us through the night with lights and fans aplenty.

Glad to do it!

Am in Naples.

If you got questions or need help, let me know.

Some hurricanes we ignore and some set us into motion.

Depends ,.....

I love it here. I’m in the Keys however which is a whole different animal from what I gather.

If by “whole different animal”, you mean complete shitshow, with a cherry on top, you’d be correct

After 60+ years down here we're so over prepped I seriously doubt we will ever get hit. But if we do we've pretty much already done everything you can do within reason since the eye opener the '04-'05 seasons were for us.

Since we bought our first genny in '89 it's been many years in the making so far but a pretty good feeling overall really.