Hurricane Season: June 1 - November 30

Did you know that Hurricane Season starts June 1st and goes till November 30? Here are some tips on ways you can be prepared if a hurricane is headed your way!

It's easy to scour the internet and find lists of how to prepare for a hurricane, hopefully this list brings a new light to the topic and you find something you didn't think about.

Get all your documents in order!
I think this is the most important part of being prepared. Get all of your important documents together in a durable file folder, those hard plastic accordian types. That way your papers won't be damaged and you can hold everything in one spot. Here's a list of documents you should have (at the minimum):
-birth certificates of all family members
-marriage certificates
-health insurance cards of all family members
-copy of your deed (for any properties you own in the area)
-copy of your homeowner's insurance policy (for any properties you own in the area)
-copy of your flood insurance policy (if applicable, for any properties you own in the area)
-passports of all family members
-custody paperwork
-wills
-your pet's medical records (at least their vacination and rabies paperwork in case you have to board them)

Action Plan
Put together an action plan in case you're "in the cone". Things like, trim back trees, put away any loose items outside that may fly off, check battery supplies, check gas cans etc.  Don't forget to actually do the plan if you do find yourself in the cone!

Items to take if you evacuate
Put together a list of items you want to take with you if you evacuate your home. This is different for every person, but as an example for my family, our list includes items that we can't replace.  Such as: burial flags, our pet's ashes, heirloom jewelry, souvineers from our travels etc. We also let our children have a small tote that they get to fill up with whatever they want to bring with them. On this list is also a few weeks of clothes for each family member, dog crates and food bowls, don't forget medications that are taken daily, toiletries, a "lovey" for our kids (stuffed animal, doll, blanket, bed pillow), we also will take a few coolers of food in case we get stranded in traffic, etc. 

Weather Source
Finally, there are a lot of different meterologists out there. Ask your friends, family and neighbors who they like and choose one that isn't all hype! I personally like Red Zone Weather with Spinks Megginson. He's based out of Brewton Alabama, very fact based and is really good about telling you when to be alert and when to calm down.