Helping you be Prepared for Hurricane Season

These tips can help you prepare now.  Don’t let a slow start to storm activity catch you off guard.

• Put together an emergency kit. Here are 60+ nonperishable items to consider including.
• Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
• Make a plan with your family or close friends and decide how you will get in touch and where you will go if there’s an emergency. Here’s how to decide if you should evacuate.
• Plan your evacuation route and have an alternate route. Here are 15 things to do before evacuating.
• Make a plan for your pets. Here are some tips.
• If you have a generator, check it and see if any maintenance needs to be done. Don’t forget these important generator safety tips.
• Do any maintenance you’ve been putting off on your vehicle.
• Review your insurance policies.
• Keep your trees around your home trimmed to prevent damage from broken branches. Here’s advice from gardening expert Dan Gill.
• Have materials in advance to board windows to protect them from flying debris. Resource: National Weather Service

Some Nonperishable items to stock up on now and be ready if you lose power for a couple weeks. A good hurricane kit includes ready-to-eat food!

Meats and protein

• Vienna sausages
• Tuna (cans, seasoned pouches, tuna salad kit)
• Canned chicken
• Canned ham
• Spam
• Shelf-stable bacon and bacon bits (fully cooked)
• Shelf-stable meal pouches, such as those from Saffron Road
• Jerky and other meat sticks
• Shelf-stable pepperoni slices
• Canned beans
• Canned seafood such as kippers and smoked oysters. Check out international markets for larger selection.
• Summer sausage, salami
• Canned soups
• Canned chili
• Nuts – peanuts, almonds, etc.
• Nut butters
• Powdered peanut butter to add to other dishes
• Low-sodium broth

Carbs

• Rice
• Pasta
• Ramen
• Noodle cups
• Dried cereal
• Instant rice pouches. Can be eaten as is or boiled to warm. (Pro tip – if it is hot outside, leave on sidewalk in sun to heat)
• Bulgur wheat, quinoa, couscous and other easy grains
• Pop-Tarts
• Instant oatmeal and grits
• Canned vegetables – tomatoes, potatoes, corn, green beans, artichoke hearts, red bell peppers, asparagus, stir fry veggies, water chestnuts, young bamboo, etc. Trader Joe’s has unusual canned options like eggplant, grape leaves and specialty beans.
• Sundried tomatoes
• Ready-made pizza crust with sauce in squeeze bottle
• Tortillas
• Bread

Snacks

• Wasabi peas
• Trail mix
• Granola bars
• Dried and dehydrated fruits – blueberries, cranberries, raisins, mango, papaya, pineapples, coconut, cherries, etc.
• Canned fruit
• Apple sauce (individual servings in cups or pouches)
• Shelf-stable smoothie, fruit and yogurt pouches
• Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables
• Crackers
• Pretzels
• Snack party mix (homemade or packaged)
• Sandwich crackers with various fillings, such as cheese or peanut butter
• Chips
• Cheese puff balls
• Popcorn (kernels not microwave bags)
• Pickles and olives (individual servings in cups or pouches)
• Croutons
• Packaged seaweed snacks
• Fresh fruit (good for last-minute additions)

Sweets

• M&Ms – won’t melt
• Shelf-stable Jell-O cups
• Shelf-stable pudding cups
• Packaged cookies
• Snack cakes
• Hard candy
• Marshmallows
• Hot chocolate mix
• Chocolate malt powder
• Chocolate-covered nuts and raisins

Drinks

• Water – in gallons and individual servings
• Coffee – instant coffee, ground coffee, you do you
• Tea
• Shelf-stable milk in a Tetrapak like Horizon or Parmalat
• Powered milk
• Alcohol
• Fruit juices
• Coconut water
• Lychee juice
• Soda
• Sports drinks
• Drink mixes to add to bottled water

Make it tasty

• Spices – salt, pepper, dried spices and spice blends. If you have a garden, harvest your herbs before a storm.
• Condiments – hot sauce, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, etc. Condiment packages from restaurants work well too.
• Honey, sugar and sweeteners
• Oils and vinegar – olive, sesame, balsamic, red wine, etc.
• Butter: canned French butter (available at international markets), ghee in a jar (clarified butter), butter powder or butter-flavored sprinkles in shaker container
• Sauces in jars or dry mixes – tomato sauce, pesto, Alfredo, gravies, white clam sauce, etc.
• Shelf-stable cheese, such as parmesan in a shaker container
• Toppings such as crispy fried onions, fried jalapenos, crunchy tortilla strips, croutons, bacon bits and other packaged salad toppings
• Salsa in individual or small containers

Cooking advice during outages

People cook on gas stoves and outdoor grills during storm-related power outages. Have matches or a lighter for your gas stove because most igniters are electric and won’t work during an outage.

If you have a grill, stock up on propane or charcoal before a storm.

You can boil water on a grill in a cast-iron skillet or any heavy pot. An old pot is good. You can use everyday cookware on a grill, but it may discolor permanently.

Have at least one roll of heavy-duty foil in your emergency cooking kit. Foil pans are good for cooking and baking on a grill.

Resources NOLA, NOAH, National Weather Service