Hurricane Preparedness – Families with Pets

Hurricane Preparedness – Families with Pets



Hurricane Preparedness Week



This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week so I thought I would take the opportunity to share tips, ideas, and information well in advance of any pending Hurricane so that those who need to can take the steps necessary to be prepared. For more i ndepth information including what the various warnings and watches mean as well as information about what to expect for each category of Hurricane visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ There are links to Youtube videos as well as downloadable forms for your family.

Hurricane Preparedness Resources
download a copy of the Hurricane Preparedness Plan from NOAA
Plus I would print out thi information about keeping your pets safe during an emergecy that was put together by FEMA http://www.ready.gov/caring-animals

Hurricane Preparedness Steps to helping keep your family safe and ready for a potential Hurricane.

Step 1 Create a plan for your family. Involve everyone in the family in the creation of this plan so that they all know what to do in case of an impending Hurricane. From deciding who will help bring in the lawn furniture to help filing up the bathtub with extra water. Create a check list that every family member can use to show their job has been completed and you are ready for the next step.

Step 2 Put together a Supply Kit that includes
a. 1 gallon of water for every person in your home for at least 5 days. Remember it will be generally be very hot immediately after a Hurricane and you will go through a lot of water. It it would be best have 1 gallon of water per pet per day. They most likely will not need all of that water (unless they are quite large) but if you are trying to fix your home or dealing with fallen debris you will be going through more then 1 gallon per day.
b. A ready supply of canned goods that will not spoil beans, peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna, cereal, granola. If you have an electric stove you will not be able to heat anything up after a storm because you will have lost power. Consider that when shopping and putting together your supply kit. If you have a gas stove you will be able to heat up food but likely will not have water to clean dishes. You will also become very popular with friends and family that realize they have a freezer full of food that is going bad and need somewhere to heat it up in order to eat it and get rid of it.
c. Have a 7 day supply of your own medication as well as your pet’s medication. Be sure to have a fully stocked first aid kit with extra band aids, ice packs (ones that you do not have to freeze), and anything else your family goes through on a regular basis. Be it extra Advil or Tums or Pepto Bismol. Having everything in one central place that that entire family can easily find will help ease the tension during an emergency.
d. 1 flashlight per family member plus 1 for each non bedroom of the house. A supply of extra batteries is also recommended as several days without electricity will quickly go through batteries.
e. If you have infants on formula or babies in diapers make sure to stock up on those supplies the same goes for any elderly person you may have in your home whether they are regular occupants or will be staying with you if a Hurricane is on its way.
f. Purchase a radio capable of receiving NOAA Weather Radio and Emergency Bands so that you can stay informed as long as possible. Remember it will need to be capable of running on battery power as you will not have electricity.

Step 3 If you have a gas tank for your stove or a generator make sure that it is full now before a Hurricane is imminent.

Step 4 Figure out if you live in an evacuation zone. If you do, have a plan for getting out in time so you can get to safety. Remember you will want to take extra clothes, food supply, water, and important documents with you. if you own a pet find out if local shelters are prepared to welcome your pet or if you will need to find a way out of town in order to get to a hotel or motel or friend’s house that will allow your pets. Do not leave your pet behind even if you leave food, water, and potty pads. You do not know how long it will be until you can get back to your home to care for them.

Hurricane Preparedness for Pets

Many communities offer Microchip clinics leading up to and immediately before a Hurricane. Ask your vet for information about local clinics or if they offer a reduced price on microchips during certain days or weeks of the year.

Fill up your bathtub with potable water for later. You can use this water as drinking water for your pet, to brush your teeth, or if you have the ability to boil water for cooking, you can also use this water to clean your body while getting rid of debris in and around your home after the storm has passed. You will also need this water to help flush the toilet once a storm has hit your area.

Here is a post I wrote last year when Hurricane Sandy was approaching Hurricane and Your Pet 5 Tips

The key is to be prepared and ready to act when a Hurricane is approaching land. Do not wait until the last minute to purchase supplies.

And if you have questions or want to know ho to help not only yourself but your community prepare stop by this twitter chat tomorrow:

What: Use Twitter to chat live with NHC hurricane experts

When: Thursday, May 30 at 2 p.m. EDT on the @NOAALive Twitter feed

How: Tweet your questions to @NOAALive using hashtag #HurriChat


Amazon Native Ads – Pet Supplies

Comments

  1. Thanks, Felissa, for this really helpful post! I’m going to share it on Twitter (though I’m sort of new, so I still don’t have that many followers…) 🙂
    meowmeowmans recently posted..(Almost) Wordless Wednesday – Moosey Loves CatnipMy Profile

  2. Jessica Sala says

    Gahhhhhh already time to start thinking about Hurricane never a fun time of year!

  3. Good things to know! We get hurricane’s here on the east coast. The last two years we’ve had them and I had to get a game plan together for the “what if’s” with Titan. Very scary thought when it’s humans you have to worry about, furbabies are a totally different story. Fabulous post that I gladly shared
    Bren recently posted..Lift Those Dog Bowls!My Profile

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