I have lived through, worked through and also observed the effects of many major storms and hurricanes in the Caribbean. They include Donna, Hugo, Frederic, Luis, Iris, Marilyn, Lenny, Ike, Ivan, Hanna, and Tropical storm Erika.

The threat of tropical storms and hurricanes is an inescapable feature of life in most CARICAD member states. We must take the threat seriously and prepare purposefully and competently based on up-to-date knowledge and scientific information. This is my attempt to assist you based on what I lived through and learnt from my work. I have learnt many lessons through experience, direct observation and consultations with colleagues in relation to family preparedness for hurricanes. In the interest of brevity I will highlight some of them here as bullet points.

When you are planning for the construction of your own home invest in hurricane resistant

design and construction in relation to the shape of the house, water storage, the pitch of the roof, the materials used for the roof, the overhang, the types of windows and types and sizes of glass sliding doors as well as the types of tiles used. Make sure the location, design and construction methods comply with Building Codes and any other relevant regulations. The cost at construction stage is a small fraction of the potential cost of later damage.

If your home was not designed for hurricane resistance, invest in retrofitting such as hurricane straps, storm shutters, emergency electricity and water supplies. Such investment is cost effective. Get early advice from manufacturers about securing solar systems and photovoltaic systems.

Learn as much as you can about the vulnerability of your home to hazards such as winds, landslides, mudslides, storm surges, coastal flooding or landside flooding. If evacuation is recommended during a storm threat, have a clear plan and process. Do not wait for the last moment if you have to evacuate.

Identify the location in the house where the family will ride out the storm if there is a direct hurricane strike and you decide to remain at home.

Keep at least three days’ survival food and drinking water at all times. Salt is a commonfood preservative but choose long-lasting foods that do not have high salt content. High salt content is not only deleterious for long-term health status but it quickly increases thirst. That thirst will encourage you to drink more water when water might be in short supply. Nowadays there are “low salt or low sodium” versions of many foods. Remember refrigeration might not be available for weeks if you are struck by a storm. Foods that require refrigeration will not last.

Be vigilant with prescription medications during the hurricane season. Try to have at least a two-week supply available throughout the season. Store the medicines carefully especially if there is a real hurricane threat. However, do not store them so securely that you cannot get access when you need them.

Always keep a supply of batteries for emergency lighting and transistor radios in particular. Use and replace batteries within a year. Keep your emergency lamps and lanterns in locations that the family is familiar with.

Try to create the best arrangements you can for back-up charging of cell phones but remember that cell phone service might not return for a long time if there is a direct hurricane strike from a major hurricane.

Keep at least two sets of electronically stored files of your vital documents and parts of

documents – certificates of all kinds, passport biodata page, driver’s licence, Social Security card. Ideally, you should store one of the back-ups in a different location but that depends on the feasibility of such an arrangement.

Try to keep vehicles fuelled to at least half capacity during the peak hurricane season.

That could help you to avoid the “mad rush” to gas stations during a storm alert. One way to do this is to fill the vehicle and then top it up afterwards when the fuel level drops down to half-tank of fuel.

Have a plan for protection of your vehicles as best you can if a storm strikes. Give priority to preventing damage to the front wind screen. This might mean parking vehicles differently when a storm threatens. Remember vehicles can be washed away in floods in flood-prone areas during hurricanes.

Prepare the entire family intellectually, psychologically and emotionally for what all of you might face during the passage of a major hurricane. Watch TV shows and videos in advance, listen to experts when they speak and listen to accounts of survivors. Speak with contacts who have survived hurricane events in other countries.

Keep as much cash as you can manage to hold  in a secure location in your home in a place that should be safe from damage. Remember you might not have normal banking services for a while if your country is hit by a major hurricane. Do not forget where you have put the cash.

Have a clear plan for aged, infirmed, and the differently-abled in your family. Be clear as to what is to be done by whom when a hurricane threatens. Make sure enthusiasm is matched by knowledge, competence and commitment.

Keep a large supply of “jumbo” or lawn-size garbage bags of the thickest gauge you can get. If your roof is damaged you might have to put many household and personal items in garbage bags to protect them from the elements until your roof can be repaired and that could take a while because of challenges with availability of both workmen and materials

Keep a supply of large freezer bags in addition to garbage bags. These are handy for storing papers and other documents. It is also wise to have insulated containers of various sizes. Those will be useful for storage as well.

Take and keep in electronic form photographs of your home and contents. Note the date on which the photos were taken. That could prove very helpful to you if you have to make a claim for insurance. Pay particular attention to appliances.

Organisations should consider the use of Cloud Technology as part their business continuity plans. The use of Cloud Technology would allow for easy retrieval of original documents and restoration of system information and data depending on the extent and sophistication of the cloud technology in use. Similarly, individuals should consider where practicable, storage of important documents and pictures in a secure Cloud arrangement.

The COVID-19 realities that are still emerging, suggest that a wider group of responders will be required to deal with the twin challenges of COVID-19 and the threat of hurricanes during 2021. Responders might even be required for new activities and tasks. Additional and alternative or supplementary personnel should be identified and trained appropriately. Our current circumstances indicate that such contingency arrangements may now be even more critical than at the start of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

Ensure that each member of the family has at least one pair of good-fitting, comfortable work shoes. Check the shoes periodically because “dry rot” can set it and cause the soles to separate from the shoes if they are not worn often. Replace or repair them if that happens. Put on those shoes with a good pair of thick socks if you get to a Hurricane Warning event and a strike is considered imminent.

Keep a good, water-proof toolkit and high-quality tools from reputable manufacturers. Good quality tools are always worth the investment. Make sure you have a hammer, different types of pliers and vice grips, various sizes and types of screwdrivers, wrenches and saws. Keep nails, screws and bolts of various sizes. Keep twine and water-resistant tape and rope of various sizes. You might have to use and replace those every few years.

It usually takes longer to prepare the yard, especially the backyard, than most of us think. Securing loose and very light-weight items is a big task. Start the job early if it is necessary to do it.

Create plans for emergency toilet arrangements (I will spare your sensitivities here) but know what your plan A, plan B and plan C will be. Remember in the aftermath of a major hurricane strike you might not have pipe-borne water for weeks. Potable water should be kept for drinking in such situations. Comply with the advice health experts give.

If you live in a hurricane-prone zone, invest incrementally each season in supplies and tools such as shovels, hoes, spades, yard brooms, tarpaulins and large sheets of durable plastic. Store these items carefully. If you can, put them in an appropriate storage location that does not hamper everyday life and living.

Pay close attention to personal care products and supplies such as diapers for children and adults (if needed), feminine hygiene supplies, baby and adult wipes, garbage bags, toilet paper and paper towels. Try to keep adequate supplies for the numbers in your family based on your spending power. They can be used in rotation after the end of the season. Protect your large electronic appliances such as TVs, microwaves, entertainment centres, stereos and desktop computers. If you protect them with secure water-proof coverings most of them survive hurricane conditions well provided that they are covered and then not left sitting in water. Remember that you should unplug such appliances before the power is turned off at the mains by your electricity provider.

The list of items that I have listed and described above might seem imposing, expensive and even esoteric to some people. You might also wonder about storage space and if will you remember all that you have acquired for hurricane preparations and how to use them. My advice is the following:

Develop an actual checklist of these items that the family can review in June and December of each year.

Be prudent in your purchases by identifying the products that save life or promote health and security. Always purchase those items first.Maintain your tools and equipment. Proper maintenance extends their useful life for many years.

Put a premium on quality – always look for authentic and genuinely well-known brands. Hurricane preparedness is not the time to experiment with products of questionable quality.

When retrofitting your home, for example with storm shutters or hurricane straps, get expert advice. Plan the work in phases, in that way you will be able spend money in phases according to your financial capacity. Consider informal agreements with close neighbours or relatives who live close by. In that way, not everyone might need to purchase a wheelbarrow. If you are a good carpenter, assist someone who is a good plumber on the basis of reciprocity.