During a Hurricane

When you first hear there is a hurricane heading your way, do you get a little anxious? We understand! We hear that a lot and it is actually very normal, especially if you have been through a rough storm in the past.For that reason, we have put together some tips to help your family prepare for the next hurricane:

1. Be sure to have plenty of candles, flashlights, and extra batteries on hand.
2. In case of power outages, turn your freezer and refrigerator down to the coldest settings. If you lose power for an extended amount of time, your food will stay fresher longer and will help reduce food waste.
3. Do you have shutters? Give yourself plenty of time to deploy them properly.  There’s nothing worse than trying to put your shutters in place during high winds.
4. Stay tuned into your local weather station (TV or radio) to stay up to date with the latest storm developments and any emergency instructions.
5. If you are not in an evacuation area, and the storm is about 6 hours away from landfall, prepare to hunker down. It might also be a good idea to contact your friends and family to let them you that you are staying home and will be riding out the storm.
6. Get those phone chargers out now and make sure your phone’s battery is full in case you lose power. If you have a wireless charger, make sure that is charged too!

After you’ve prepared for the storm and are safe in your home, it’s time to keep your family occupied, especially if you have kids and lose power. Here are a few ideas to keep your family busy so they are not worried about what’s going on outside:

1. Start a “rock paper scissor” tournament. The winner gets to choose the next game!
2. Forget the devices and break out the board games. This will help with the Fortnite withdrawals.
3. Break out the arts and crafts! If you’re new to the world of arts and crafts and would like to give it a try, some things to stock up on could be glue, scissors, construction paper, cotton balls, and popsicle sticks.  If you’re feeling adventurous you could also break out the paint brushes and watercolors!
4. Does your family like to read as much as ours does? Grab some books, magazines, comics, whatever you’re into and snuggle up for some family reading time.  Whether it’s quiet reading time, or reading to your kids, a good book can take your mind far away from what’s going on, on the other side of your hurricane shutters.
5. If you’re not into books, take turns telling stories. Bonus points for shadow puppets!
6. Do you remember the game 20 Questions? Kids love this game and will keep them entertained for hours.
7. LEGOS! Need we say more?

Staying busy and being prepared is the best way to ease your mind when both preparing for a storm and riding it out. Having Impact Windows and Hurricane Shutters on your house can bring great peace of mind. You will be able to rest easy (or at least the best you can) knowing that your home and everyone inside is protected. Call us today for your free estimate!