For Home Inspectors and Homeowners: How to Prepare for a Hurricane

by Nick Gromicko and Ben Gromicko

Planning for hurricane season and other potential disasters can be stressful.

InterNACHI® has advice to help you safely prepare, evacuate, and shelter for severe storms while protecting yourself. Here are some tips to help you and your family stay safe during hurricane season this year.

Prepare for Hurricane Season

• Know your risk. Inland areas can also be affected from hurricanes due to high wind, heavy rain, and flooding. 
• Make an emergency plan. 
• Give yourself time to prepare your emergency food, water, and medical supplies ahead of hurricane season. 
• Review and gather important documents such as insurance, medical information, and photo IDs. 
• Refill prescriptions when down to no more than one week's supply, if possible. Prior to an impending storm, attempt to call in your prescription ahead of time or see if your doctor will prescribe an emergency supply.
• Pay attention to local guidance about updated plans for evacuations and shelters, including shelters for your pets.
• Check on neighbors and friends. Remember that seniors or those with disabilities may need extra assistance. 

Prepare to Evacuate

• Keep a full tank of gas if an evacuation seems likely. Keep a half a tank of gas at all times in case of an unexpected need to evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. 
• If you may need to evacuate, prepare a “go kit” with personal items you cannot do without during an emergency. Include items that can help protect you and others from contagious pathogens, such as hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, bar or liquid soap, disinfectant wipes (if available), and masks for each person. 
• Know a safe place to shelter and have several ways to receive weather alerts, such as National Weather Service cell phone alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, or National Weather Service Twitter alerts.
• Find out if your local public shelter is open, in case you need to evacuate your home and go there.  Follow guidance from your local public health or emergency management officials on when and where to shelter.
• If you need to go to a disaster shelter, follow CDC recommendations for staying safe and healthy in a public disaster shelter.
• Make a plan and prepare a disaster kit for your pets. Find out if your disaster shelter will accept pets. While it is becoming more common for shelters to accept domestic pets, it is still typical for pets to be housed in a separate area.
• Follow safety precautions when using transportation to evacuate. If you have to travel away from your community to evacuate, follow directions from local authorities. Bring a utility bill or other documentation that has your name attached to your residence. 

Staying with Friends or Family

If you will be staying with friends or family to evacuate from the storm:

• Follow everyday preventive actions, including covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands often, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Consider taking extra precautions for people with compromised immune systems, infants, or elderly.
• Have your pets wear collars and tags for identification. Contain your pets. They are in a strange environment and may behaved in unexpected ways.
• Park considerately. Do not block any neighboring driveways or gates with vehicles.  
• Fill bathtubs or buckets with clean water for drinking or washing. 
• Take refuge in a designated storm shelter or interior room for high winds.
• Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn around, don't drown! Just six inches of swift water can knock a person down, and one foot of moving water can wash a vehicle away.

Stay Safe After a Hurricane

In addition to following guidance for staying safe and healthy after a hurricane, note that:

• It may take some time to restore power and water if they are out. Take steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning if you use a generator.
• Avoid walking or driving through flooded areas. Be mindful of any areas that might have or hide downed power lines. 
• If you are injured or ill, contact your medical provider for treatment recommendations. Keep wounds clean to prevent infection. Remember that accessing medical care may be more difficult than usual immediately following a hurricane.
• Be careful during cleanup and wear protective clothing, especially when dealing with mold or debris. 
• Document damage with photos and video for insurance.
• Dealing with disasters can cause stress and strong emotions. It is natural to feel anxiety, grief, and worry. Coping with these feelings and getting help when you need it will help you, your family, and your community recover.
• People with pre-existing mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms.
• After a hurricane, it’s not unusual for rats, mice, and other pests to try to get into your home or building.  Keep pests out of your home. Learn how to prevent rats, mice, and other pests from entering a home or building. 
• Inspectors can take InterNACHI's free, online Wildlife Damage & Signs for Home Inspectors, How to Inspect for Moisture Intrusion, and How to Perform Mold Inspections courses. 

Reference: 

National Weather Service, Hurricane Preparedness

Ready.gov, Hurricanes

CDC.gov, Mold

Image: NOAA.gov Hurricane Sally 2020