By now I am assuming many people on the West and Southwest coast of Florida are either evacuated or staying put.  With approximately 12 hours before deteriorating conditions arrive, I have been asked for some last-minute advice.  [Full Prep Here]

Here’s the key part. Do not allow your mind to listen to the dark imaginings that create fear, stress and panic.  Stay busy, do stuff, you will find that taking an action-oriented approach will calm your mind.  Don’t just sit around and think about dark thoughts.

Yes, it is still possible to do some preparations – here is a quick recap of what you can look at in the final 12 hours of you are planning to hunker down.  Keep occupied.

♦ Change the voicemail message on your cell phone to let people know your plans. EXAMPLE:  “Hey, you’ve reached Sam, I’m ok and currently preparing for Hurricane Milton. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you when possible.”  …..  After the storm, in an effort to reassure family, and in a method to preserve battery life on your phone, change the message again.  “Hey, you’ve reached Sam, I AM OKAY after the hurricane, and I am safe. If you leave a message, my reply may be delayed.”   This is one simple way to communicate to your friends and family, so they know you are okay.

Communication is important. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed. You can see the importance of this communication plan, from the recent results of the emergency in Western North Carolina. Tell your family who your primary contact person is, then tell that contact person your exact plans. That contact person then becomes the information hub for you that relays information to your family and friends.

♦ Clean up your documents. Organize your important papers, insurance forms, personal papers etc., and place them in ziploc bags, in a safe place. Some have suggested the dishwasher as a waterproof storage place.

♦ Secure your garage door. You can always tell those people who have been through direct hurricane impacts by how they parked their cars. I now include this information in all hurricane prep because it makes such a difference. If you lose your Florida garage door you will more than likely lose your roof. That’s just the reality of having a massive opening in your structure to 100 – 150 mph winds that could lift the trusses.

If you have two vehicles, put one vehicle inside the garage with the front bumper against the door to help stop the flex (do this carefully). Put the other vehicle outside blocking the garage door facing down the driveway or facing parallel to the garage. The goal is to use the aero dynamics of the car to push the wind away from the door and provide protection.

A cheap car cover can be used to protect the outside vehicle and/or use old blankets (cable ties, bungee cords) to stop the outside vehicle from getting sandblasted and destroyed. Place double folded corrugated cardboard in front of the radiator to protect it from storm debris.

You might still have time for this one.  If you live in a flood zone, or if you are concerned about storm surge, take your #1 car to the nearest airport or hotel with a parking garage and park in the upper levels. Take an cab/uber back home if you don’t have a friend or partner to help you. This way you know you will have one workable vehicle, just in case.

♦ Wash and sanitize the bathtub. Then fill the bathtub with water. AND/Or put three 30-gallon trash cans in the shower and fill them with water before the storm. This will give you 90 gallons of water for cooking and personal hygiene. You will also need water to manually flush your toilets. Bottled water is great for drinking, hydrating and toothbrushing, but you will need much more potable water if the municipal supply is compromised or broken. Use a bucket to flush your toilets with water from the tub, trash cans or pool.

♦ Bring in your patio furniture or throw it in the swimming pool. Put a heavy dose of chlorine in the pool now to compensate for the filter pump not working if the power goes out. Run the pump until the power goes out. Swimming pools can quickly turn into algae ponds following a hurricane.

♦ Remember, a standard 6,500-to-8,500-watt generator will run for approximately 8 hours on five gallons of gasoline.   If the power goes out, do not run it all the time.  Relax until it is safe to go outside and turn it on.  Turn it on, chill the fridge, make coffee, use the microwave or charge stuff, then turn it off.  Do this in 4-hour shifts and the fridge will be ok and your gasoline will last longer.  Gasoline is a scarce and rare commodity in the aftermath of a hurricane.  Gas stations don’t work without power.  Check the oil in the generator every few days.  Also, have a can of quick start or butane available in case the generator starts acting up.

♦ Do all of your laundry before the hurricane hits.  You will likely not have the ability again for a few weeks.  Your clothes washing machine is also a solid place to put ice where you don’t have to worry about melt.

♦ Cook meals in advance of the hurricane. Store in fridge so you can microwave for a meal.  Eating a constant diet of sandwiches gets old after the first week.  If you have a generator, you can use the microwave and coffee pot.

♦ Turn down the temp on your freezer now. Fill all empty space in your freezer or deep freeze with bottles of water. [You can also use some versions of Ziploc bags] Make sure you remove some water before positioning to allow room for ice expansion.  Use small bottles of water to fill small spaces. You can drink this water post storm but use it to fill space and help your freezer maintain temp during any power outage.

♦ You can also place a tall glass filled with water in the middle shelf of the Freezer. Let the water freeze. Before evacuating place a coin on top of the ice. If the coin is at the bottom of the glass when you return, throw out everything inside the fridge. That means the temp was compromised too long. Generally speaking, if you do not open the freezer door you have about 12 hrs safe food storage before you need to carefully evaluate.

♦ Check your radios and battery-operated devices to make sure they work.  Preset your broadcast channel to the one you feel most comfortable with.

It is very important to remain calm and stable.  This helps those around you as well as animals.  An approaching Hurricane is stressful, but it will be okay.  Do not allow your thoughts to turn toward fear and worry.  Instead, focus on proactive action that empowers you to prepare.

Say prayers for peace of mind and reassurance. You are NOT alone:

Heavenly Father, please grant me peace of mind and help calm my nerves. Our worldly worries are like a turbulent sea; and we need a very blessed balance that only You can provide.  We reach out to You for stability.

Dearest Lord, help me if I stumble and begin to worry. Give me the strength and clarity of mind to remain purposefully calm for my family. Keep my mind, spirit, words and deeds upon a clear path toward You. We trust Your Love God and know that You will provide calm amid this stress.

Just as Your sun rises each day against the darkest of nights; bring us clarity with Your light and grace.

In Your most merciful name, I pray.  ~ Amen.

Everything will be okay.

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