Florida summers are more than just the perfect time to enjoy the beach and backyard barbeques: they’re prime time to prepare for the inevitable hurricane season that’s right around the corner. We see it time and time again: every year, Florida’s homeowners are left scrambling for supplies when a hurricane watch or warning is announced, leaving way too many people empty-handed (or paying inflated prices for basic supplies). Though some steps have to wait until the last minute, there are plenty of easy hurricane prep steps for your family to take right now to gear up for a safer, stress-free hurricane season. Let’s go over some of them.

Item number one on every hurricane prep to-do list is making sure that you’re stocked up on necessary supplies, like food and water. We can’t recommend enough that you grab a couple of cases of water bottles now, before an incoming hurricane is announced and they sell out everywhere. Another great idea is to skip the water bottle packets and instead get a Brita filter or self-filtering reusable bottles. These will allow you to fill up containers with tap water right before the hurricane, resting assured that you’ll be able to filter it all without wasting plastic.

It’s also useful to top off your first aid kit: make sure you have plenty of Band-Aids, gauze, aspirin, and even allergy medication if needed. Have plenty of extra batteries (and even a small stash of candles, just to be safe).

Make sure that you have air-tight plastic containers where you can safely store your important documents and some spare cash before a hurricane hits. On the off chance that you experience a flood, you’ll at least be able to breathe easy knowing that important things like birth certificates, passports, and social security cards didn’t get destroyed. It’ll also be useful to have access to cash in case your city experiences a major power outage.

If you don’t have an emergency power source (more on this later), definitely make sure you have plenty of fully charged portable chargers. Though they’re by no means the most effective or useful option for keeping your gadgets on, they can extend the lifespan of your phones and laptops for a little bit, allowing you to communicate with loved ones or get important last-minute work done in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

Of course, the most effective thing you can do by far is getting a fully functioning alternative power source set up in your home before the hurricane season even starts. We’re talking about a generator. This live-saving appliance means the difference between scrambling for nonperishables, stumbling around in the darkness, and watching all of your refrigerated food go back and resting easy knowing that you’re still fully powered up. When you work with a service provider who knows what they’re doing, generator installation couldn’t be easier: all you have to do is purchase your unit, decide on a day for it to be installed, and sit back to watch it all happen. When the storm hits and your family stays powered up and comfortable, you’ll be glad you made that call.

Weathering hurricane season is a staple of Florida life, but that doesn’t mean you have to scramble for last-minute preparation. By taking these easy hurricane prep steps for your family, you can sit back and relax knowing that you’re as well-prepared as possible for fall in Florida. To learn more about generator installation and to get a free quote on yours, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.