Hurricane season formally starts June 1st in Southwest Florida, which means that it is officially underway.
The first named storm, tropical storm Andrea, was even announced a few weeks ago. Ever since Hurricane Irma came in the fall of 2017, everyone in the Southwest Florida area learned the importance of hurricane preparedness and saw the damage that could be done from a bad storm.
Luckily, our area was clear of any extreme storms coming our way in 2018, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking steps to get yourself ready in the event any extreme weather comes through this year. Naples Daily News is even putting on hurricane preparedness seminars for our local residents to get educated on the most important things they need to get ready.
As a local business and part of the community, we are extremely passionate about keeping members of our community safe and connected throughout extreme weather through generators service. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most important things you should do at the start of hurricane season to get your home and your family ready.
Stock Up on Essentials
Batteries, disinfecting wipes, Ziploc bags, and LED lanterns are among the household essentials hurricane experts recommend having ready in your home for hurricane season. By waiting until the last minute when a hurricane is already on its way, stores may be sold out of important items you might need.
At the beginning of the season, take the time to make a trip to the store and stock up on these essentials including nonperishable food, water, and even fill up some containers with gas. Store them away for safekeeping until they are necessary to use.
Develop a Plan
In the event a hurricane is coming, what is your plan? If there’s no mandatory evacuation, do you plan on staying or leaving town? If there is a mandatory evacuation, where will you go? Does your work or your child’s school have a policy on what to do?
Ask yourself all these important questions that would impact what action you take if you see a storm coming your way. Identify the closest shelter in your area and other places you can go for resources if you need to.
Develop a plan of action with your family members, and make sure everyone is on the same page, so by the time you find out a hurricane might be hitting our area, you know exactly what to do and all your plans are already set in place.
Secure Your Home
Regardless of if you evacuate or stay in town to ride out a storm, your home will be here either way. An essential part of hurricane preparedness is making sure your home is secure to survive the storm. Make sure your doors and windows are secure, which could mean getting shutters or boarding up your windows with plywood. Consider using sandbags to keep your home secure from flood damage. If you have outdoor or patio furniture, find a safe place you can store them inside. Reinforce your garage doors, if needed.
Back-Up Your Home with A Kohler Generator
One of the most important parts of keeping your family safe, secure, and comfortable in the event of a hurricane is having power in your home.
With Hurricane Irma, some areas of Southwest Florida did not have power back until 2 weeks or more after the storm. Having to use flashlights to navigate, not having any kitchen appliances hooked up, and not having clean running water for that amount of time can make it impossible to get back to normal life.
Having a backup generator in the home to keep your appliances up and running will make getting through a storm so much easier for you and your family, as well as keep you connected to be able to communicate with loved ones and get news updates through your devices.
Work with A Licensed Electrician on Your Generator Installation
If you are interested in getting a generator installed in your home this hurricane season, don’t wait until the last minute!
You never know when a storm could be heading our way, and if you wait until it’s already on the radar, it will probably be too late. Empowered Global is a licensed electrical contractor and a Platinum Certified Kohler generator dealer, helping customers in Bonita Springs, Naples & Estero to install and maintain their home generators. We can help you stay safe this hurricane season. Call us today at 239-330-4520 or schedule an appointment here today.