Hurricane Safety Checklist

Make sure you have the tools you need to survive the storm

Empire State Building, NEW YORK—Forecasters predict Hurricane Irene should arrive tomorrow night, and subways will be shut down at noon in anticipation of the incoming storm. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re prepared.

Stay updated on current weather conditions by checking weather.com: http://www.weather.com/weather/today/USNY0996. Since Internet will most likely be out tomorrow when the storm hits, make sure to save important unsaved documents on your computer and unplug your computer from the wall in the event of a power outage (and resulting surge).

Weather.com also provides a social site to track weather-related tweets during Irene’s rampage. http://www.weather.com/social/national

Hurricane preparedness checklist:

-Buy jugs of water (Walgreen’s has 3qt jugs for $2.19) to freeze in the event of an outage. If the power goes out, place the frozen jugs in your fridge to keep perishables cold longer.

-Stock up on food supplies, waterless shampoo, and other important personal items.

-Don’t worry about taping your windows, but keep windows shut at all times during the storm. You may want to open the door of your apartment, however, to alleviate pressure from wind pushing against the windows.

-Fill bathtubs with water—you may need this to flush toilets if plumbing ceases to work.

-Do NOT try to go outside. Winds can pick up quickly, and debris may be unavoidable and dangerous.

-Make sure you have flashlights, fully charged phones and computers, and items such as battery-powered alarm clocks. Storm flashlights are best, especially if they have phone chargers, radio, and/or clocks.

-Stay positive, stay encouraged, and stay safe!