Prepare for Hurricane Laura

Preparing for Hurricane Laura

Residents along the Southeast Texas and Louisiana coastlines are keeping a very close eye on Hurricane Laura. The National Hurricane Center’s latest track for Hurricane Laura has it making landfall, possibly as a Category 3 hurricane, sometime late Wednesday into early Thursday. What we don’t know yet is exactly where that landfall will occur. A shift of just 20 or 30 miles to the east or west could make all the difference for us in the Galveston-Houston area. Stay tuned to your local news channel and download one of the many helpful weather apps to track the storm –and warnings– more closely.

As a precaution, the City of Galveston early Tuesday morning issued a mandatory evacuation for all residents on the island. Galveston County also called for a mandatory evacuation of Bolivar Peninsula. Other cities have called for voluntary evacuations.

Act Now

The skilled nurses at Signature Health Services already have contacted our patients to advise them to stock-up on medications and supplies, food, and water. But we all need to be prepared.

The Red Cross lists the following items as necessary or desirable for your Hurricane Preparation Kit. It’s not too late to gather these items, but you need to act now. If you are homebound, please ask family, a neighbor, or friends to purchase the supplies you need. You should also consider using a grocery delivery service, like Instacart.com.

1. Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
2. Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
3. Flashlight
4. Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
5. Extra batteries
6. Deluxe family first aid kit
7. Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
8. Multi-purpose tool
9. Sanitation and personal hygiene items
10. Copies of personal documents in water-proof casing (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
11. Cell phone with chargers
12. Family and emergency contact information
13. Extra cash
14. Emergency blanket
15. Map(s) of the area

Consider the special needs of all your family members and add supplies to your kit:

• Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc)
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Games and activities for children
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
• Two-way radios
• Extra set of car keys and house keys
• Manual can opener

Additional supplies to keep at home or in your survival kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:

• Whistle
• N95 or surgical masks
• Matches
• Rain gear
• Towels
• Work gloves
• Tools/supplies for securing your home
• Extra clothing, hat, and sturdy shoes
• Plastic sheeting
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Household liquid bleach
• Entertainment items
• Blankets or sleeping bags