Storm Station

As the electronic billboards have warned Houstonians, hurricane season began June 1st. The 4th Pacific ocean hurricane this year will be named Darby—that will only be neat if it’s a small hurricane…I don’t want to share a name with a huge destructive hurricane. Like people named Katrina or Ike? Yea, that would not be cool.

Ike & his aftermath in Houston

When Phil & I were in our first year of undergrad, we experienced our first large hurricane, Isabel. That fall we missed 2 weeks of school due to all of the damage. So in 2008 when Ike was upon us, we knew what to expect & how to prepare. But no matter how much we prepare, we still have to remember the power of these mighty storms and take warnings seriously. Ike was an extremely aggressive storm that left more than 4.5 million people without power for weeks & many people lost their homes. So as a reminder, make sure that your home is prepared for this hurricane season and that your emergency hurricane kit is stocked. Preparation Reminders:
• Bottled water and fill your (cleaned) tub with water as a back-up
• Non-perishable foods with a manual can opener
• Flashlights with extra batteries
• Prescription medications & a first aid kit
• Blankets & a tarp
• Essentials for infants, the elderly, & pets
• Important documents and insurance information (consider wind insurance)
• Roofing tacks & hammer
• Know your evacuation number & routes; have a map
• Keep your gas tank filled & your cell phone charged
• Board games (waiting can get boring!)
• Cash- ATMs could be down
• Toilet paper
• Keep everything in a plastic container so that it doesn’t get wet
• Visit the Texas Emergency website for other suggestions: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/weather_aware_hurricane.htm
• We recommend this Storm Station: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-StormStation-Rechargeable-SS925/dp/B000B8GBCC/ref=pd_sim_hi_1It has everything! We were extremely blessed during the last big storm with minimal damage and we hope to have another uneventful hurricane season!