When it comes to hurricane season, Florida and Texas get hit the most, followed by Louisiana and the Carolinas. Many people think about protecting their homes, but thinking about stocking up on your personal supplies is just as important.
In the event of a major storm, homes may be without electricity and water for many days. If you rely on home services or suffer from health issues that may be affected by a lack of power, staying in your home may not be the best option.
By planning well in advance, you can be better prepared, should the threat of a natural disaster arise. We at Personally Delivered have put together a Hurricane Readiness Essentials Kit, an Emergency Kit, and a Travel Pack to prepare you and your loved ones for hurricane season.
Additionally, at the end of this post, we will provide checklists you can download or print, helpful terms to know, and links to expert resources.
Personally Delivered Readiness Essentials Kit
This Hurricane Readiness Essentials Kit includes necessary items to protect and maintain healthy skin while keeping you feel clean and fresh when you need it most.
Aloe Vesta Bathing Cloths – These disposable bathing cloths are rinse-free and easy to use. Each wipe moisturizes while it cleanses. When access to water is not available, these Aloe Vesta bathing cloths are a great replacement for your regular showers or baths.
3-N-1 Rinse-Free Foaming Body Wash, Shampoo, and Peri-Cleanser – This rinse-free bathing product works as a thick foaming body wash, shampoo, and perineal cleanser. 3-N-1 will keep you feeling clean and fresh in the event that access to water may be limited during hurricane season.
Aloe Vesta No-Rinse Cleansing Foam – This multipurpose cleanser is perfect as a no-rinse solution for the hair, body, and perineum. It contains aloe to soothe the skin and is good for sensitive skin. Works great as a quick refresher between baths and cleansing after incidents of bowel or bladder incontinence.
ConvaTec Sensi-Care Clear Zinc – With the power of dimethicone, this product helps protect the skin from the irritation associated with incontinence. The easy-to-spread formula creates a thin film helping to protect skin and seal out wetness. Zinc is a powerful aid in healing skin irritation, so keep this handy all year round.
Aloe Vesta Daily Moisturizer – Aloe Vesta Daily Moisturizer is designed to maintain healthy skin while soothing minor skin irritations. This formula softens and moisturizes sensitive skin, helping to protect and prevent skin from getting chafed, chapped, and cracked. A daily moisturizer is essential, no matter the weather conditions.
Personally Delivered Emergency Kit
The Personally Delivered Emergency Kit includes a variety of necessary products to aid in the cleansing, healing, and protection of a variety of wound care needs.
Sterile Saline Water or Wipes – You can choose between sterile water in bottles for easy irrigation and other medical needs or in the form of wipes to deliver a consistent dose of saline with every application. The non-toxic isotonic solution is gentle enough for all wounds without damaging healing tissues.
Wound Care Gauze – Sterile and well-suited for a variety of applications such as wound dressing, cleaning, minor prepping, and packing. Available in a range of sizes and plies. Gauze serves as the perfect application for small wounds and ulcerations.
AQUACEL Foam Adhesive Dressing – This foam adhesive dressing helps to evaporate excess moisture and provides a waterproof barrier to support wound healing. Its soft absorbent foam pad continues to absorb excess fluid while allowing you to shower or bathe. Changing the dressing is comfortable due to the foam technology, so the pain associated with removal is eliminated.
DuoDERM Hydroactive Gel – A preservative-free, sterile, clear hydrogel used as a filler for dry cavity wounds. It provides a moist wound healing environment, aiding in the removal of nonviable tissue. It can also be used on radiation dermatitis skin conditions and diabetic ulcers.
Personally Delivered Travel Kit
The Personally Delivered Travel Pack includes a few essential items in a convenient travel size, making it easy to cleanse and moisturize on the go.
Aloe Vesta Moisturizing Lotion (2-4 oz.) – This travel size bottle soothes minor skin irritation while softening and moisturizing sensitive skin. The long-lasting formula helps protect and prevent chafed, chapped, and cracked skin.
Aloe Vesta Wipes – This rinse-free, easy-to-use disposable bathing system cleanses and moisturizes. As mentioned in the Hurricane Readiness Essentials, these cloths are a great replacement for regular showers or baths when access to water may not be available.
Aloe Vesta Foam (4 oz.) – This multipurpose cleanser for hair, body, and perineum is also rinse-free. It contains aloe to soothe the skin, which is also beneficial for sensitive skin. This provides all the benefits of the aforementioned cleansing foams but in a travel size bottle.
Additional Information and Resources
Hurricane Season on the Atlantic Coast is from June 1 to November 30 each year. There are several types of storms that can form during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. However, hurricanes are the most dangerous storms of them all. Hurricanes are organized systems of strong thunderstorms that can cover several hundred miles and generate torrential rain and tornadoes. They can also cause storm surges resulting in severe damage to communities and deaths. These storm surges are domes of water that reach 10 to 20 feet above sea level and are extremely dangerous. The calm spot in the middle of the hurricane is called the ‘eye’. It’s critical to remember that when the eye passes over your area, only half the storm has passed. The wind will return suddenly from the opposite direction, perhaps with even greater force.
Storm Terms
- Hurricane: Very strong, pronounced circulation winds of 74 mph or more and gusts up to 200 mph. Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on sustained winds and storm surges. Review the chart below to learn more.
- Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours.
- Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions are a real possibility for the area, usually within 36 hours.
- Storm: Categorized by its circular wind intensity. Storms circulate clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern.
- Tropical Depression: An organized system of clouds and/or thunderstorms with some circulation at the surface; highest winds less than 39 mph.
- Tropical Storm: An organized system of strong thunderstorms with stronger circulation; highest wind speed 39–73 mph. These storms can quickly accelerate when they reach tropical storm strength and become hurricanes. Storms are named when they reach tropical storm strength.
- Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.
- Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions, including winds of 39–73 mph, pose a possible threat to the area within 36 hours.
- Tropical Wave: A cluster of clouds and/or thunderstorms with little or no circulation or strong wind.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
In 1973, Herbert Saffir, an engineer, and Robert Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center at the time, developed what is known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This scale uses categories 1 through 5 to measure the wind scale of a hurricane and damage that can be caused as a result of this wind. No matter the number on the scale, a Category 1 hurricane is still a hurricane and can leave communities in bad shape for several weeks or even years.
Category 1
Sustained Winds – 74-95 mph
Damage – Minimal: Unanchored mobile homes, signs, and destroyed vegetation.
Storm Surge – 4-5 ft.
Category 2
Sustained Winds – 96-110 mph
Damage – Moderate: All mobile homes, roofs, small crafts, flooding.
Storm Surge – 6-8 ft.
Category 3
Sustained Winds – 111-130 mph
Damage – Extensive: Small buildings, low-lying roads cut off.
Storm Surge – 9-12 ft.
Category 4
Sustained Winds – 131-155 mph
Damage – Extreme: Roofs destroyed, trees down, roads cut off, mobile homes destroyed, beach homes flooded.
Storm Surge – 13-18 ft.
Category 5
Sustained Winds – Greater than 155 mph
Damage – Catastrophic: Most buildings destroyed, vegetation destroyed, major roads cut off, homes flooded.
Storm Surge – Greater than 18 ft.
Preparing for the Storm
The only thing worse than being in a storm is being unprepared for one. In case of a storm, you’ll need enough supplies and nonperishable foods to last for an extended period. Print the checklists below and share them with friends and family so they can prepare, too. This is also a good time to check prescriptions and have them refilled. This ensures you and your family have just what you need to weather the storm.
After the Storm
Even though the storm is over, there are still a lot of things you need to know. You’ll want to remain indoors until you’re given official notice that it’s okay to venture outside. Once you are outdoors, you’ll want to stay away from trees and other objects that may have come in contact with power lines. You’ll also need to know about food and water safety, such as what you need to throw out and how to disinfect your water.
Expert Resources
For information regarding evacuation zones, emergency shelters, and the status of the storm, use these resources:
- Tune in to your local television and radio stations
- FEMA: fema.gov
- Red Cross: redcross.org
