Living in Georgia has a lot of perks: mountains, close beach access, apple picking, peaches and a great city life. However, it also has its downfalls – like that we’re subject to severe weather caused by hurricanes.
Hurricane season is officially among us; starting the first of June and running through the end of November for the Atlantic Basin (that’s us!) As Georgia residents, we’ve seen our fair share of scary winds and rains caused by hurricanes, and because of our proximity to Florida, it’s a safe assumption that we have friends and family affected by hurricanes each year.
With Hurricane Dorian hitting the Bahamas and running up the coast last week, we wanted to put together a list of items to help prepare you and your family for when natural disaster (of all kinds!) hits.
- Prepare your home for potential upcoming storms:
- Bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
- Keep all bushes and tree limbs well-trimmed to make them more wind resistant
- Turn off utilities if you are instructed to do so
- Turn off propane tanks
- Turn the fridge and freezer to the coolest setting. Put food close together. Fill up containers of water and freeze them when preparing for electrical outages.
- Check your downspouts and make sure that they are draining away from the house.
- Remove debris and pollutants out of ditches and storm drains
- Take pictures of all of your belongings including the food in the fridge and freezer
- Put a cooler nearby in the kitchen
- If power or utility outages are expected, clean and sanitize your bath tubs and fill them with water. Use this for flushing toilets, bathing, washing dishes or even drinking if needed (boil first if possible) if loss of water service happens.
- Stock up on necessities ahead of time: manual can opener, bottled water or gallons of water, non-perishable food (consider canned/powdered milk), first aid kits, batteries, flash lights, battery powered radio, prescriptions, diapers and formula, eye glasses, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, have extra cash on hand . It is recommended to always have enough food for 7 days in preparation for a storm along with 1 gallon of water per person per day. Don’t forget food and water for your pets.
- Have a small tool box close by that includes a multi-purpose tool.
- Download the Ready Georgia App from the Apple or Android Store. Use this to get an emergency ready checklist, use the “I Am Safe” notification that notifies your emergency contacts that you are safe, view live weather alerts, view maps showing traffic conditions and info on how to prepare for various types of threats
- Fill up your gas tank in your car before the storm in case of any shortages
- Identify where important documents are located such as ID’s, birth certificates, social security cards, passports, the latest utility bill and put them in a safe place.
- Know your area’s flood risk: visit www.floodsmart.gov for more info
- Make sure you have refilled any prescriptions
- Gather up your pet’s leash, shot records and pet carrier
- Make a list of family phone numbers and addresses that can be accessed without use of a cell phone
- During a storm:
- Listen to the County Warning System. If tornado sirens are going off be sure to get to the lowest point of the home and take cover in an interior area away from windows and doors. This could be an interior closet, stairwell or bathroom.
- Do not use elevators
- Do not open the fridge or freezer. A fridge can keep food safely cold for approximately 4 hours during a power outage. A FULL freezer can keep things cold for approximately 48 hours or 24 hours for a half full freezer. Use the containers of frozen water to pack up coolers if needed.
- Avoid using your phone except for serious emergencies
- Do not go outside
- Do not use a grill or any propane appliances
- In the event of a power loss shut the hot water circuit breaker off. Turn off or unplug all hazardous appliances (stove, toasters, and coffee makers). Use flashlights instead of candles
- Keep your cell phone charged for as long as possible
- After the storm:
- Do not drive on flooded roads
- Do not go near down power lines
- Beware of outdoor hazards
- Notify your insurance carrier of any losses to your property
We hope that these tips help keep you and your loved ones safe during this hurricane season!
Backyard Realty Group provides rental property management services and real estate services to buyers, sellers, investors and landlords in the Metro Atlanta Area.
