How to Prepare for a Hurricane in Hampton Roads

This year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling for 7-9 hurricanes. For anybody living on the coast, it's important to be prepared in case one hits. Virginia Beach is in a pretty lucky area as most hurricanes are turned out to sea when hitting the North Carolina coast. However, do not rely on this fact to get you through the season. Here is a list of things to get prepared in advance to be ready if Hampton Roads does get a hurricane this season.

Make sure you stock up before there is a hurricane watch or warning. If you wait until the last minute you won't be able to find the items you need. The shelves will be bare and you'll be out of luck. Get gas for your car too. Make sure your tank is full and don't wait until the last minute or you will be waiting in lines with the rest of the city and gas may even run out.

Make sure to stock up enough items to last a week. Food will be the first thing to prepare for. Buy things that do not need to be refrigerated or cooked. Buy items like ready to eat canned soup, granola bars, cereal, dried fruit, nuts, juice, etc. Make sure to plan enough food for all the members of the family, it would be prudent to have too much food than to run out and leave your family hungry.

The next thing you will need enough of is water. Store water in plastic containers to keep it from going bad. Store a gallon of water per person per day. You'll need water for drinking purposes as well as for toileting and bathing needs. You never know if you will be without the use of water.

Prepare for a power outage. All it takes is a heavy wind to knock out power and if large areas are affected it can take up to two weeks to be restored. If you have items in your freezer set up a place in advance to take your items if you find your home without power for days on end. We always have a few friends around town to take our things to, to keep our meats and other frozen items from going bad. Make sure to stock up on flashlights, camping lanterns and batteries. For safety purposes, candles should not be used unless it is your absolute last resort.