Hurricane Help Tips From Our Readers

The best teacher is experience and our readers have a lot of it. Here are the tips they felt would be most helpful to you in the event of a hurricane. Do you have a helpful hurricane tip you'd like to share? Tell us about it. Just click here to submit your tip to us. You could win a free T-Shirt!

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From Eileen in Kansas
I am not in a hurricane area but a tornado area in Kansas. We have a lot of the same concerns.

• I did see somewhere about candles but candles and dry matches are not on your list and they should be. Matches will light more than candles too. A number one item on our lists here is matches kept in zip lock bags. People think that a cigarette lighter will do but not so in a lot of cases. They can become "unworkable" very easily and finger burns occur when trying to light a gas (portable) stove is always a likely hood. I keep matches, fireplace matches and a grill lighter in a large zip bag. You cannot light anything without them!!!

Note: The National Hurricane Survival Intiative recommends using battery operated lighting rather than candles due to the risk of fire.

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From Nancy in Florida
We got hit by three of the four hurricanes (2004).

• My idea may sound silly to you --- but I would stock up on things like nail polish, etc. Fun things to do when you have no electricity. My (grown) daughter and I had great bonding times. There was nothing else to do (except eventually toss out all the rotten food!), so we turned lemons into lemonade. Had great looking toes and fingers. And we did the candlelight reading, too. How did our ancestors do it?! Actually, we cheated, put candles and a lantern together. Oh, and a mirror helps greatly!

Note: The National Hurricane Survival Intiative recommends using battery operated lighting rather than candles due to the risk of fire.

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From April in Florida

• My best tip is to get ready now! Do not wait. Many people in my area waited until the day before to prepare for Charley. We got lucky, but they learned that getting plywood and generators the day before was next to impossible.

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From Kate and Tom in Florida
We wised up after the first hurricane came through, and were ready for Jeanne.

• If you use masking tape to reinforce your windows, make sure to remove the tape as soon as possible. If you wait until the sun bakes it on, you will have to get out that scraper or razor blade. But if you take care of this detail as soon as it is safe, after the hurricane blows through, the tape will peel right off with no residue whatsoever to deal with. I realize this is not a 'life saving' tip, but it could be considered a 'frustration saving' tip that will free your energies up to concentrate on other, more serious matters.

Note: The Insurance Information Institute recommends you protect glass openings with shutters or lumber. The National Hurricane Survival Intiative says masking tape will not prevent your windows from shattering.

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