It’s not very often we get a hurricane in Maine, but we get winter storms, and the storm preparation is almost the same. Here are some thoughts on preparing for this week’s stormy weather:
Larry Foote at Adams Alarms sent is a few quick tips from his work in alarms and electronics.
1. have enough food and water for 72 hours, including pet foods. Also make sure you have your meds.2. get out the flashlights, test your batteries and find the crank-up radio. Candles should be a last resort.
3. check your generator make sure you have gas or other fuel, that the generator is positioned right and properly ventilated.
4. stay away from any downed wires or hung up tree limbs. Wires may be live and extremely hazardous. This hurricane in Maine might bring major flooding, especially dangerous with downed wires.
5. check on your neighbors. Arrange signals ahead of time in case phones are out.
6. most important, if you’re asked to evacuate please do so! Though a hurricane in Maine is unusual, if you’re in a potential evacuation area, pack a bag with clothing, get out the pet travel case, and make sure your meds are arranged for grab-and-go.
Other folks have additional tips for a hurricane in Maine:
- clear away anything you might stumple over if you need to move quickly. Roll up the area rugs for a few days. Look around to your exit paths and make sure they’re clear. Figure on having to move around in the dark.
- Make sure you have the phone numbers of family and friends written down. Make a plan to call and check in at certain times.
- if you want to spend the afternoon and overnight with friends or family, watch the weather and get moving early in the day. Don’t “wait and see”–you don’t want to be driving around as the storm increases.
- If your loved one is wheelchair-bound, determine an evacuation strategy ahead of time. When deciding to evacuate, older adults should go sooner rather than later. By waiting too long, they may be unable to leave if they require assistance.
Outside the House, Prepare for a Hurricane in Maine
- get help putting the lawn furniture away. Get your car into the garage, if you can. At camp, pull the canoe and kayak into as much shelter as possible. Beach the boats. Stay away from windows. Your lawn chair might be put away but a neighbor’s could come crashing through from a long distance.
- look for items like bird feeders, plant pots or garden ornaments that might end up sailing through your windows. Put them away.
- Hurricane force winds can put a straw through a brick wall! Do not go outside if you’ve forgotten something after the storm starts.
- Have an easy-to-carry backpack including three days non-perishable food and water with an additional four days of food and water readily accessible at home. Have at least one gallon of bottled water per person per day. Refresh and replace your supplies at least twice a year. And don’t forget the blanket and paper products such as toilet paper.
- Have at least a one-month supply of medication on hand at all times. Make ready other important documents in a waterproof protector including copies of prescriptions, car title registration and driver’s license, insurance documents and bank account numbers, and spare checkbook. Also take extra eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries. Label every piece of important equipment or personal item in case they are lost.
- Compile a contact list and include people on a senior’s support network as well as doctors, other health-care professionals, neighbors, lawyers, and insurance agents.
The best preparation for a hurricane in Maine is common sense and thinking ahead.