In 2017, with Hurricane Harvey looming, my family and I were living in the Beaumont area. We were far enough away from the Galveston coast that it never crossed my mind that the hurricane would affect us.
We did little to no hurricane prep until reality set in and we could see the severity of our area being hit. Quickly we got sandbags and ran to the store to grab anything that was left on the shelves.
Hurricane Harvey taught me to never take any natural disaster lightly and to always be prepared.
We witnessed 61 inches of rain within 24 hours, and watched the devastation unfold all around us. I felt hopeless watching my friends and families houses being flooded with 5 feet of water in them, ruining everything they owned.
I received video after video of people’s houses underwater, and my uncle rescuing families in his boat. When it was finally safe enough to leave our house, we cleaned out our house as fast as possible with anything these families would need, and went to help at the churches.
We spent days throwing away everything that had been sitting in water and trying to salvage as much of my in-laws precious memories as we could. We were tearing down walls as if we were remodeling a house, as my mother-in-law watched in disbelief.
Watching our nation come together during that time was absolutely breathtaking. I watched strangers going out of their way for complete strangers, and children giving away their own things.
When we moved to the Coastal Bend area, my first thought was living through hurricane season, and how we needed to prepare. My biggest advice is, if the news says evacuate, please listen, fill your cars up with gas, and take your most precious valuables with you. Listed below are some of the items I have already prepped an emergency container:
Things to have packed in your Hurricane Prep Kit: (have enough to last you at least a week)
- Non-perishable foods
- Snacks for all ages
- Water
- Paper products (plates, silverware, bowls, etc.)
- Pet care
- Batteries/flashlights
- Clothing (rain boots, rain jackets)
- Garbage bags
- Personal hygiene items
- Toiletry items (disposable toothbrushes)
- Anything needed for your baby/toddler/elderly
- Important documents
- First aid kit, any prescriptions
- Blankets/pillows
- Kids entertainment
- Children’s life jackets
- Lighters/matches in a waterproof container
- If you anyone handicap, have emergency help ready if needed
- Chargers (try to keep your things charged as much as possible)
- Emergency cash
- If possible,a generator
If you know your area will be hit, I have had friends tell me to include a “Clean up kit” in your hurricane prep, this can include:
- 5-gallon bucket
- Trash bags
- Heavy-duty gloves
- Disinfectant
- Face coverings
- Campers toilet paper
- Mold removal
Elisabeth had a great preparation article for the last hurricane season, which has a great checklist to refer to as well. You can never be too over-prepared for a natural disaster, cover all your basis.
