21 Hurricane Preparedness Tips for 2024!

A BIG thank you to My Patriot Supply for sponsoring today’s post and Hurricane Preparedness Tips!

Hurricane Preparedness Tips

Whether you’re new to a hurricane zone or you just want to up your preparation game this year, I’ve put together some smart hurricane preparedness tips to help you prepare for the unexpected!

As Hurricane season rolls around again… now is the time to get ready!

From preparing your yard and the exterior of your home, to planning ahead with food, water and provisions, there are so many things you can do right now to start planning ahead.

Hurricanes can be so unpredictable… brewing in intensity and shifting directions at the last minute. That’s why having a well-stocked Hurricane Preparedness Kit prepared in advance is so essential!

I’ll even share with you some really unique hurricane preparedness tips, like creative ways to put your dishwasher and washing machine to use, and why some extra long screws are essential when the storm is approaching.

What Should You Do To Prepare For a Hurricane?

In addition to boarding up your windows and doors, take these additional steps to prepare for a hurricane and put your mind at ease before the storms hit…

#1: Take Pictures or Videos of Every Room’s Contents

One of the first things you’ll want to do is to take pictures of every room of your home. In the unfortunate event that your home gets hit hard and you need to make an insurance claim, photos and videos can come in really handy when remembering and proving what possessions you had in each room before the storm.

#2: Then Turn Important Documents into Digital Copies

Another simple prep-ahead tip is to take time to scan or photograph important documents and store digital copies on flash drives and external hard drives.

Whether you’re evacuating or staying put, you’ll have so much peace of mind knowing you have backup copies of some of your most important documents like…

• Birth Certificate
• Driver’s License
• Housing & Insurance Documents
• Financial Accounts with Account #’s
• Medical Records
• Passport
• Social Security Card

#3: Install Long Screws and Heavy Duty Bolts on Exterior Doors

In addition to strengthening your hinges and temporarily removing screen doors, don’t forget to take some time now to install longer screws and heavy duty bolts to your exterior doors.

Every little thing you do now can really help as those winds come barreling towards your home.

For starters, you can remove the short screws from the door jam portion of your deadbolt lock and replace them with 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inch long screws.

Honestly, the longer the screws the better when it comes to reinforcement.

These longer screws will even double duty as a simple home security trick by making it more challenging for someone to try to force their way into your home.

Just make sure that the new longer flat head screws are flush with the mounting plate, and that the screws you use are the same color as the plate you’re screwing into. 

#4: Keep Your Yard Tidy and Trees Trimmed Up!

When preparing your yard for hurricane season, the goal is to keep things tidy and trimmed so wind and air can easily move through.

For example, an untrimmed tree with extra weight and unnecessary branches is a lot more likely to get knocked down in a powerful storm.

So take a few hours this week to go trim up and thin out your trees, and remove any dead branches. Working on your yard now can help you avoid storm damage, and it may even save you time cleaning up your yard later.

#5: Hide Valuables in Your Dishwasher

When it comes to hurricanes, the name of the game is to keep things high and dry.

Flooding can often accompany hurricanes, so protecting things in garbage bags, moving things upstairs, or placing things on top of your cabinets can make all the difference.

Or… consider hiding some valuables in your dishwasher!

Here’s another great tip from frugal friend Patti… “A dishwasher makes a good place to store valuables and insurance information. Secure it in a ziplock bag and store it in the dishwasher.”

#6: Fill Your Freezer With Blocks of Ice & Turn Your Ice Maker Off!

If you know a tropical storm or hurricane is headed your way, don’t forget to turn off your ice maker! If you don’t, the water may melt and run out… potentially damaging your floors.

Another simple trick is to fill your freezer with blocks of ice before the storm hits. In the case of a power outage, this will help the food in your freezer stay cool and fresh longer!

#7: Use Your Washing Machine as a Cooler!

Did you know that your washing machine can actually serve double duty as a cooler?

This tip comes in so handy in a pinch!

Here’s what frugal friend Patti has to say… “One big tip is that people forget to use their washing machine as a cooler. Ice will stay fairly decent for a makeshift refrigerator when power is lost. Water from melting ice drains right off”

#8: Keep Plenty of Cash in Your Wallet… and Safe!

Having extra cash in your wallet and safe is always a good idea. However, it’s especially important when preparing for storms and outages… you never know when those ATM systems may go down temporarily.

#9: Invest in a Portable Generator

When there isn’t any power… make your own! With a gas or solar generator, you can keep your refrigerator running, fans blowing, and cell phones charged even when the power is out!

#10: Fill up Your Car’s Gas Tank… and Keep an Extra Gas Can Filled in the Garage!

You never know when an evacuation order may come, so don’t risk running out of gas in the middle of the freeway.

A few days before the storm hits, head to the gas station to fill up your car, and then fill up any extra gas cans that you store in the garage.

These can be used as emergency gas for your car, or to help power your gas generator when the power is out.

#11: Stay Informed with a Hand Crank Radio

You’ll always be able to know what’s going on when you have a hand crank radio. Simply wind it up, and listen to the latest news updates so you can stay in the know.

#12: Keep Several Candles in Your Cupboard

As you know, power outages are common in hurricanes, so you’ll want plenty of candles and matches on hand to improvise with lighting at night.

These Homemade Soy Candles are such a budget friendly way to stock your cabinet with emergency candles.

Then… supplement your candles with plenty of battery powered flashlights!

#13: Always Have Extra Batteries on Hand… and Keep Rechargeable Ones Charged

Once the power goes out… it’s all about the batteries!

So make sure you charge up any rechargeable batteries before the storm arrives, and have plenty of extra batteries on hand to power your flashlights, lanterns, portable fans, radios, and more!

#14: Make Sure You’ve Got a Way to Charge Your Cell Phone!

Make sure you also have a plan for charging your cell phone during a power outage. Communication during disasters is essential!

Whether you plan to head to your car to charge your phone, use your generator, or just want to keep some portable phone chargers handy, making a backup plan for how you’ll charge your phones is a must!

#15: Don’t Forget the Entertainment!

When the power goes out, you’ll thank yourself for having plenty of creative ideas and fun activities on hand to pass the time! Here are some of my favorite options…

Board Games

Books

Card Games

Crafts (Crochet, Knitting, Embroidery, Drawing, etc)

Interactive Games (20 Questions, Charades, Would You Rather, etc)

Magazines

#16: Stock up on Baby Wipes for Hygiene & Water Wipes for Cleaning!

Make sure you also have some Baby Wipes and Water Wipes on hand. Baby wipes can be used to freshen up when you can’t take a shower, and water wipes are great for cleaning!

#17: Start Stockpiling Drinking Water Now…

You’ll never regret having too much water on hand during a storm or other natural disaster.

Stocking up now is a really smart idea, being that water is often one of the first things to clear off the grocery store’s shelves when a storm warning is announced.

Consider storing 1 gallon of drinking water per person in your household, per day.

#18: Then Fill Your Bathtub Up Just Before the Storm Hits

Then… in addition to your drinking water, you can fill your bathtub up (before the storm hits) with water that can be used for washing, cleaning dishes, flushing toilets, etc.

#19: Don’t Forget the Bug Repellent!

Heat + Water = Bugs. So be prepared with plenty of bug repellent, and avoid any unnecessary itchy situations! 🙂

#20: Be Sure You Have Extra Propane on Hand to Run Your Gas Grill and Camp Stove!

When the power goes out… it’s time to fire up the grill and camp stove, and create some delicious eats while you ride out the storm.

Grilling always works so much better when you actually have propane on hand. 🙂

So go get those propane tanks filled before the storm!

I like to keep one large extra propane tank filled in my garage for my main outdoor grill, as well as several smaller propane tanks on hand for my portable stove.

#21: Most Importantly, Stock your Pantry with an Emergency Food Supply!

Don’t forget the food! Everything you’ve done up to this point to prepare is so important, but your emergency food supply is absolutely essential!

When it comes to emergency preparedness… I like to have at least a 4-week supply of food on hand at all times.

It may seem like a lot, but once power is out, supply chains are disrupted, or you’re just not able to get to the store, you’ll be so glad knowing you have enough food to get you by until help arrives!

That’s why I LOVE the emergency food supply buckets from My Patriot Supply! I have two stored in my pantry right now, and they give me such peace of mind!

With varied meals providing 2,000+ calories per day and a shelf life up to 25 years, they’re the perfect solution for long term emergency food storage!

You can rest easy knowing you’ll be feasting on delicious things like Buttermilk Pancakes, Homestyle Potato Soup, Southwest Rice, Mac & Cheese, Chocolate Pudding, and more!

Plus, My Patriot Supply is offering an exclusive deal to Frugal Girls readers right now, where you can save $50 off a 4-week supply or $200 off 3-month supply!

So what are you waiting for? Take some time to start preparing this week… you’ll be so glad you did!

What are your favorite Hurricane Preparedness Tips or Tricks?

Leave a comment & share!