How To Prepare Your Family For Hurricane Season Bergen County NJ

Hurricanes can be one of the most damaging events that your family can face. To keep your family and home as safe as possible in these intense weather conditions, it is important to take steps to prepare for hurricane season in Bergen County NJ, and the surrounding areas.

Preparing for the unexpected takes some thinking ahead, and taking action even though these problems may never (and hopefully will not) arise. It’s unfortunately more likely than not that your family will not be all in one spot when disaster strikes. You need to come up with a plan so that you can find each other in an emergency situation, and be sure that all safety measures are covered.

15 Things You Can Do To Prepare For Hurricane Season In Bergen County NJ

1. Post emergency telephone numbers by the phone.
2. Install safety features in your house, such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
3. Inspect your home for items that can move, fall, break or catch fire and correct them.
4. Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR and first aid, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your home.
5. Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local emergency number.
6. Keep enough supplies in your home for at least 3 days.
7. Assemble an emergency supplies kit. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags.
8. Keep important documents in a waterproof container.  
9. Keep a smaller emergency supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
10. Practice and maintain your plan. Ensure your family knows meeting places, phone numbers and safety rules. Conduct drills.
11. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries at least once each year.
12. Replace stored water and food every 6 months.
13. Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer’s instructions.
14. Pick two places to meet: a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.
15. Choose an out of state friend as your family’s point of contact for everyone to call if the family gets separated.

You can never be over prepared when it comes to a potentially dangerous situation like a hurricane. Taking the time now to prepare can save you money, grief and possibly even save lives. So prepare your family for hurricane season today. Don’t put it off. The day may come where you will be very thankful that you did.