Hurricane Preparedness for Charlotte Residents

hurricane preparedness Charlotte, Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence is on her way, so get ready! Track Hurricane Florence’s trajectory here or here, and get need-to-know tips from the National Hurricane Center here.

Hurricanes bring high winds and heavy rainfall, causing threats to roofs, windows, and homes in flood-prone areas. Most likely Charlotte will experience high winds and heavy rainfall, leading to flash flooding, downed trees and potential loss of power.

Hurricane Preparedness Precautions

Follow our hurricane preparedness guide to ensure you, your family and your pets stay safe. These steps should be followed in the order listed for maximum protection.

1. Fill your car with gas.

Lines at gas stations are already long. Get gas now so you are prepared in the case of an emergency that requires travel.

2. Get the supplies you need.

Don’t already have a disaster survival kit? Now’s the time to build one, or, at the very least, get the supplies needed to get through this storm.

At the very minimum, you should have:

  • A gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, to use both for drinking and for sanitation.
  • Non-perishable food that will last three days.
  • Batteries and flashlights.
  • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.
  • A week’s worth of any essential prescription meds.

If you want to be properly prepared for future disasters, build a basic disaster survival kit as described below:

Store disaster survival items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag.

  • A gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, to use both for drinking and for sanitation
  • Non-perishable food that will last three days
  • Water purification tablets or a sanistraw
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
  • Flashlight
  • First aid kit
  • Extra batteries
  • Whistle to signal for help
  • Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
  • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
  • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
  • Manual can opener for food
  • Local maps
  • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

3. Check on your friends and family.

Got family living near the coast, where storm surge and rainfall is expected to be devastating? Convince them to drive to Charlotte and to shelter with you or to move to a hotel. Even Raleigh, which is inland, is expecting somewhere between 10-20 inches of rain and high winds. This can result in serious flooding and structural damage. Make sure your friends and family are evacuating if they are in a danger zone.

4. Prepare your home for impact.

If you live in the direct path of Hurricane Florence, board up windows using plywood. Those of us in the Charlotte area will most likely experience high winds and a lot of rain. Hopefully, you will not need to board windows, but you may want to have plywood on hand just in case Hurricane Florence comes ashore sooner than later and comes directly through Charlotte.

In any case, you still need to put away lawn furniture and anything that might act as a projectile. Last time we had a hurricane come through, we saw a trampoline lifted from a backyard! The trampoline broke through two fences before crashing into a neighbor’s home, breaking a picture window. Bring in patio furniture, tie down gas grills, and trim trees with weak limbs.

If you have a sump pump in your basement or crawl space, make sure it’s working! You may want to invest in a battery backup sump system, especially if you live in a flood zone.

5. Ready yourself for a possible power outage by taking the following actions:

  • Freeze tupperware containers of water and leave them in your freezer to keep cold items cold longer.
  • Locate candles and matches, and flashlights and batteries.
  • Cook something delicious that can be eaten as leftovers. A yummy pie that doesn’t need to be refrigerated will do the trick!
  • Think of alternate ways to cook food. For example, if you have a smoker, make sure you have coals and wood so you can smoke up some ribs or chicken while everyone else is living off PB&J sandwiches!
  • Clean your tub (so it’s sanitary) and fill it with water in case you need water during a power outage.
  • If you have a gas-powered chain saw, make sure you have gas for it just in case you have to deal with downed trees.

6. Perform last minute preparations right before the hurricane hits.Right before the hurricane hits, be sure to take the following actions:

  • Check with friends and family to make sure they are set.
  • Check your battery-powered radio.
  • Charge your cell phone.
  • Move your cars into the garage (if possible) to avoid hail damage (since hurricanes often bring hail).

Followed all the steps? You’re prepared! Stay away from large windows during the peak of the storm, and shelter as if this is a tornado during the worst of the storm.

Post-Hurricane Precautions

Keep in mind that others may not have prepared as well as you did. When exploring your area after the storm passes, be on the look out for:

  • Downed power lines, especially in wet areas where the electric charge can travel unhindered
  • Flooded sections of road
  • Broken water mains or clogged sewer drains (since debris is often washed into sewers, clogging the drains)
  • Downed trees
  • Compromised gas lines, which can lead to explosions or asphyxiation. If you smell gas, get out of the building and call the gas company and a plumber to fix the gas line.

Once you’ve determined everyone in your home is okay, check on neighbors to make sure they have not suffered injuries or damage to their home.

Charlotte Plumbers That Care

Here at E.R. Plumbing, we strive to treat our employees and customers like family. We care about your safety. Give us a call if you have a broken gas line, clogged drains, broken water main, malfunctioning sump pump or any other plumbing concern. We’ll get to you as soon as we can. God bless and stay safe!

Article Summary

Quick question & answer: What is the best thing I can do to prepare for a hurricane?

When hurricanes come to Charlotte, the best things you can do to prepare are to fill your car with gas and get necessary supplies, such as materials for a disaster survival kit. Check on your friends and family. Prepare your home for impact and ready yourself for a possible power outage. Perform last minute preparations right before the hurricane strikes.

hurricane preparedness Charlotte, Hurricane Florence

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