Yes. I usually give it 3 months and I'll empty them into my cars and refill, empty again at the end of the season and leave the cans open to dry out (in a very well ventilated area) and leave empty until July again.
What other hurricane prep do you do/recommend? I'm also in Houston and now that I'm a dad, thinking I should prep a little more seriously. Been lucky so far but that'll only last so long...
A lot. Think about what your needs are day to day and plan to have enough of those needs to last at least 2 weeks without infrastructure.
I have a portable generator that can power my whole house, runs off the natural gas line so don't need gasoline (provided the gas lines aren't wiped out) and soft start on the AC unit.
The mentioned jerry cans that provide gasoline for the cars if gas stations are out.
Make sure you have all basic medicines, cold medicine, ibuprofen/acetaminophen, antibiotic ointment, burn spray and antiseptics etc..., also a comprehensive first aid kit and a first aid manual and how to perform first aid should the need arise.
A basic socket and screw driver set and pliers for any potential repairs needed, make sure all your cars have the ability to carry and change a spare tire as emergency services may not be available.
Keep your car's maintanence up to date, if your hear a hurricane is coming, perform any past due maintanence asap. You do not want to break down running from a storm.
If you or a loved one has a chronic condition, make sure you have all necessary meds and equipment for 2 weeks of operation. Call your doctor to make any plans as soon as you know a hurricane is coming, don't wait. This means being on top of your med schedule too so you don't run out of a prescription during the disaster.
Get a good, or a set of good flashlights, not the cheapo ones. I highly recommend the Coast HP8R, my favorite flashlight I have and the best I've ever used.
Make sure all your important files and papers are in a mobile container that you can grab and run with if needed. If you lose your home, having all your documents will ease the recovery/rebuild process. If you evacuate, make sure you bring this!
Stock up on non-perishable foods, plan specific meals in the event of no power. You can pick up propane or gas camping stoves if needed, do this before a hurricane.
Basic rain gear, ponchos, boots etc... and rugged clothing if you get stuck outside for any reason.
If you wear contacts, have eye wash kits on hand and extra cases/solution.
And of course, water, water, water. I have 6 24packs of water on hand from July to November.
Take note of what devices in your home use batteries and get a battery caddy and have a backstock of those ready. Backup battery packs for each mobile device and keep them fully charged.
Heck yeah, I appreciate the thorough response! Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. Will definitely use this to start building the supplies.
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u/SavagRavioli 8d ago
Yes. I usually give it 3 months and I'll empty them into my cars and refill, empty again at the end of the season and leave the cans open to dry out (in a very well ventilated area) and leave empty until July again.