The best way to prepare for a hurricane is well ahead of a potential disaster
Having a plan ahead of a possible disaster or evacuation situation is the best way to stay prepared
The Canadian Red Cross says when preparing for events like flooding or a hurricane, the most important thing to do is to create a plan ahead of a potential disaster scenario.
"You could easily go to redcross.ca/prepare, and the plan will be right there," Red Cross Atlantic Communications Director Dan Bedell tells The Weather Network.
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The plan will assess your personal risks and guide your grab-and-go bag if you need to evacuate, but also inform you what to do if forced into shelter during a severe weather event.
Items to include in your grab-and-go emergency bag (Nathan Coleman)
There is space to fill out your insurance policy number and phone contact to begin a claim, as well as spaces to list your medications in case you forget and your regular pharmacy is closed during a power outage.
The best part, you don’t need to worry about losing a hard copy.
"Take all that vital information and email it to yourself, to an account you can access from anywhere," says Bedell.
And don’t forget your phone.
"In that mad scramble to evacuate your home, it's very easy to leave something like this behind. You also need a means to charge it," he says.
Nathan Coleman
A crank radio can be found at most camping stores nowadays and some have built in flashlights. Another must have is a small first aid kit in case there are cuts and bruises sustained while evacuating.
"Have a small supply of cash that you can have with you because if the power's out, you can't use your credit or debit card and the ATMs will be down so you won’t have access to those things," advises Bedell.
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Non-perishable food items and water are also a key item for any emergency kit. If you can’t pack your medications, leave a note with a reminder to do so, should you need to evacuate in a hurry.
Having a whistle also helps in case you get trapped somewhere and need rescuers or dogs to locate you.
Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 until the end of November.
