Sustainable Hurricane Preparedness

Drinking-Water

Having safe drinking water should be at the top of the list for your Hurricane Supplies. Best practices recommend having a three-day supply of water on hand with a gallon of water per person per day. This works out to three gallons of water for each person to use for drinking and cleaning.

Avoid purchasing single-use plastics like disposable bottled water and fill up gallon-sized water jugs with filtered tap water. Pitchers, thermoses, large water bottles, and even cooking pots can be used as alternatives.

Wash all the containers thoroughly in hot water. Wait until the day the weather event begins then fill up your containers, cover them tightly, and use sparingly as needed. The water should easily last for three days.

Reusable Expanding Water Jugs

Life Straws

Personal Hygiene

Should you lose water, each member of your household should have a washcloth available for their hands and face, and a sponge for bathing.

Save space and resources by purchasing unscented soap and using it for personal hygiene and washing dishes. Remember that soap can contaminate other water supplies, when disposing of used water make sure to do so at least 200 feet from a storm drain, creek, or river.

Organic Cotton Washcloths

Pure Castile Soap

Food

Have food on hand that doesn’t require refrigeration or cooking. This can include canned tuna, dried cereal, dried fruit, peanut butter and jelly, soups, bread, and crackers.

When buying products such as canned tuna and salmon, purchase brands that support sustainable practices.

In the event of a power outage, keep the freezer closed and minimize the number of times the refrigerator is open. Prepare ice in advance of the event and put big blocks of ice or ice cubes in the refrigerator to assist in keeping it cold.

Cook Stove or Grill

Propane stoves and grills do not require power to function. Purchasing one prior to an event will ensure the ability to prepare food even when power is lost. Sufficient supplies should be kept on hand to meet cooking needs for as long as the power outage lasts. A solar oven may also be useful once the skies clear but avoid using a charcoal grill as they generate air pollution.

Camping Stove

Solar Oven

Lighting

If power is lost, candles may be a viable way to light the facility. Avoid using tapers or any candle that could easily tip over and start a fire.

Solar-powered options are also available such as solar lanterns or garden lights.

Dishes and Dining

Avoid purchasing disposable dining ware and instead use a camping dinner set. These generally come as a set of metal plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery. Being indestructible, reusable, and easy to clean there should be no trouble keeping these in storage to use in an emergency.

If water is unavailable to clean dishes, wipe them off with a damp sponge and sanitize them using a pot of water with 8 drops of bleach.

Camping Plates

Hand Crank Radio

Radios can keep you informed of events event if you lose internet access. Many radios can be powered with hand cranks when you have absolutely no power, and many can also be charged by solar power or batteries.

Hand Crank Radio