As you all know by now our area and a large part of the East Coast is under hurricane watches and warnings. While hurricanes are fairly common in the southern part of the country, it is a far rarer occurrence to have one hit the densely populated areas of the Northeast. My family and I are veterans of Hurricane Bob which struck Cape Cod 20 years ago last week. We were without power, refrigeration, and gasoline for 6 days, and there are many things we wished we had done ahead of time in preparation. Here are some things you can do to help protect yourself and your home from the storm.

– Assemble a disaster supply kit that includes bottled water, non-perishable food items, medical supplies, batteries and flashlights. Have a battery operated radio on hand to listen to news updates when the power goes out.

– Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the highest level, and fill several plastic containers with water and place them in the freezer. During this storm it is anticipated that there will be extensive power outages. The containers of frozen water will help keep the refrigerator colder during an electrical outage.

– Bring in outside furniture and other objects that could cause property damage in the event of high winds. This includes bird feeders and hanging baskets as well. I saw some pretty weird objects become airborne as hurricane force winds cranked up.

– Trash cans and recycling containers should be stored in a sheltered area.

– Fill the bathtub with water. This is not for drinking purposes, but with the prediction of 5 to 10 inches of rain water treatment plants could become inundated, and tap water may not be available. The stored water can be used to fill and flush toilets until water service is restored.

– Make sure there is gas in the car and you are ready to evacuate immediately if you are told to do so. If you do evacuate, do not go back home until local officials say it is safe.

– Be sure to stay indoors during a hurricane. Don’t be fooled if there is a pause in the wind. It could be the eye of the storm, and the winds will come again.

– Listen to a radio or television for weather updates and stay in touch with your neighbors about evacuation orders.

– Avoid using the phone except for an emergency so the phone lines can stay open for others. Fully charge your cell phone, and send text messages instead of making a phone call during the storm – text messages use less system resources, both on your phone and on the network.