Hurricane season has arrived and forecasters are predicting more storms than in an average season with up to 17 systems forming until the end of November. While most hurricanes have calmed to a tropical storm by the time they hit the Charlotte area, many folks still remember hurricane Hugo and its affects on the city. What’s more, even common tropical storms can cause excessive damage and outages. Blackhawk Hardware owner Andrew Wilkerson chats with Lauren Dugan from FOX46 and encourages Charlotteans to prepare now rather than wait until the last minute when many emergency supplies will be sold out.
Protect against Flooding
Flooding is always a concern during any storm and Andrew recommends fixing and cleaning your gutters and ensure they stay clean to avoid water pouring down your roof and soaking your house’s foundation. Having flood barriers on hand can also make a big difference. These days, sandless sandbag alternatives are available.
Build an Emergency Kit
To make it through potentially days without water and / or power, we recommend to create a generous emergency kit. Basic items should include:
- water (at least 3 gallons per person)
- non perishable food items
- manual can openers
- batteries
- flash lights
- lanterns
- weather radio
- charcoal and fire starters or propane for your grill
- first aid kit and any medication you are taking
- solar or hand-crank phone chargers
Also take extra care to include special needs items such as pet or baby food and diapers! Consider adding a generator (don’t forget the fuel) to your home and investing in a high performance cooler like a Yeti to keep essentials cold while you wait for power lines to be fixed. For more tips on how to prepare an emergency kit be sure to check out ready.gov!
Stock up on emergency items to be prepared and avoid out of stocks when everyone scrambles to get their items last minute.
