Hurricane Preparedness: Are You Ready?

Expert Tips

Hurricane season is once again upon us, and the LSU AgCenter has recommendations to mitigate potential danger and losses to yards, homes and animals as well as tips for keeping food and cleaning supplies on hand.

As the third-costliest Atlantic hurricane season on record, behind only 2005 and 2017, 2024 saw 18 named storms — including 11 hurricanes, five of which were major.

This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-normal season with the potential of 13 to 19 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), six to 10 hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher) and three to five major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher).

When preparing for a hurricane, keep foods on hand that do not have to be refrigerated before or after opening, will not spoil over a period of a few days, require little to no preparation and can be prepared without electricity, said Sandra May, AgCenter registered dietitian. Examples are ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables, protein or fruit bars, crackers, tortillas, nuts, nut butter, dry cereal, canned juices, dried fruit and shelf-stable milk.

“Be sure to have at least a three-day food supply for each person in the household,” May said.

AgCenter nutrition and community health agent Shannon Coleman echoed May’s instructions and added that a three-day water supply is crucial.

“It is best to buy bottled water and prepare for 1 gallon of water per day, per person,” she said.

To keep food safe in the event of a power outage, keep the doors of your refrigerator and freezer shut as much as possible.

“Frozen foods can be safely refrozen if they still have ice crystals on them or the temperature is 40 degrees or lower,” Coleman said.

She also said to make sure you have a manual can opener, a food thermometer to monitor temperatures and bleach if you need to sanitize utensils, pots and water.

Cleaning and disinfecting items such as soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and general household cleaning and disinfecting supplies for surfaces are important, especially if a storm necessitates cleanup because of floodwaters or storm damage, Coleman said.

Finally, if you or your family are forced to evacuate to a shelter, she said it’s important to follow that individual shelter’s safety policies.

Another step for storm preparation is to make sure your home is ready.

Carol Friedland, director of the AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center, said to remember the letter “s” for home projects. She said to inspect shingles, soffits, seals, shutters and surroundings.

Homeowners looking to replace a roof have hurricane-hardy options such as wind-rated shingles (Class H is best) and tear-resistant, synthetic underlayment. But if a replacement isn’t in the plans, Friedland said, homeowners can strengthen existing shingles with roofing cement.

“Put some dabs under the first course of shingles and along gable ends where the roof covering is most vulnerable,” she said. “Roofing cement in the valleys of hipped roofs can also prevent water damage because those areas are prone to leaking with immense amounts of rain. Roof damage is the biggest homeowner insurance loss following hurricanes.”

Friedland also recommended securing soffits with polyurethane sealant and stainless steel screws.

“Well-fastened soffits are less likely to get blown around, allow wind-driven rain into your attic and cause major damage,” she said.

Friedland went on to say that rooftop vents should be checked to assure they are secured to the rooftop and to replace any missing or corroded screws.

“Low-profile vents can be a more aerodynamic replacement for turbine vents, which are prone to blow-off,” she said. “Inexpensive caulk can be used to seal holes where wires, cables and pipes enter or exit your house.”

Friedland added that when high winds are expected, check your surroundings for anything that could fall, tip over or become flying debris. Elevated air conditioner condensers should be strapped down to keep them from blowing off their platforms in high winds. Any source of debris can damage windows. Shutters such as lightweight, translucent, removable storm panels are a much more convenient alternative to heavy plywood boards.

“Examine your surroundings for anything that could become flying debris, and store or secure it,” she said.

AgCenter horticulture agent Ashley Barfield warned that home landscapes can become hazardous during storms. She urges homeowners to inspect large trees and shrubs for dead or weak branches and to contact a licensed arborist as soon as possible to remove any that pose a risk.

Secure anything that strong winds could pick up, including tools, chemicals, trellises, planters — anything that could become a projectile.

Barfield also stressed the importance of keeping drainage systems clear of debris to help prevent flooding. She said to set your irrigation system to rain delay or turn it off entirely to avoid saturating the soil further, which can worsen flood conditions.

“If your lawn is overgrown and you mow it just before a storm, be sure to collect or properly mulch the clippings so they don’t end up blocking storm drains,” she said. “Once the storm has passed, inspect your trees and shrubs again for damage, do so safely and contact a licensed arborist.”

Barfield recommends acting as soon as possible — don’t wait until a storm is on the radar. She noted that arborists’ schedules fill up quickly, and many trees are still recovering from drought stress from 2023.

Preparation also means getting pets and livestock ready for a storm. AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Christine Navarre said animals should have vaccinations and a checkup if necessary.

“Healthy animals will be better prepared to handle the stress of relocation,” Navarre said.

Microchipping pets or having identification for them in some way will help if you are separated from your animals. Navarre recommended storing identification numbers online in the cloud so they can be retrieved from anywhere.

She also said to prepare an emergency to-go box that includes contact information for animals’ veterinarians, medications, feed and leashes. It also is important to familiarize a pet with its pet carrier and get horses accustomed to loading in a trailer before it is necessary for animals to be transported.

More information can be found at the American Veterinary Medical Association website.

Sandra May can be reached at samay@agcenter.lsu.edu

Shannon Coleman can be reached at scoleman@agcenter.lsu.edu

Carol Friedland can be reached at cfriedland@agcenter.lsu.edu

Ashley Barfield can be reached at abarfield@agcenter.lsu.edu

Dr. Christine Navarre can be reached at cnavarre@agcenter.lsu.edu

LaHouse Research and Education Center manager of training Pam Lewandowski gives tips on how to prepare your home for a hurricane for less than $10.

Are you prepared to protect and transport your horses and livestock? LSU AgCenter equine specialist Neely Walker explains what you can do to be prepared for hurricane season.

Are you prepared to protect and transport your horses, livestock and pets? LSU AgCenter veterinarian Christine Navarre explains what you can do to be prepared for hurricane season.

LaHouse Research and Education Center manager of training Pam Lewandowski discusses the benefits of home resilience during natural disasters.

LaHouse Research and Education Center extension associate Shelly Kleinpeter presents tips on what to pack in case of an evacuation during a natural disaster.

Find Out More

The following includes current and archived news articles and publications about hurricane preparedness.

Before the Storm

Make Your Home and Life More Resilient – Before the Next Big Storm Forms

The following hurricane and flood-resistant home improvements can ramp up your home’s and family’s resilience. They are also a good investment to protect your home, add value, and do your part to reduce the great impact a disaster has on the community and nation.

FORTIFIED Resources

FORTIFIED, an above code, voluntary set of building standards developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has been rigorously tested and shown to protect homes from high-speed winds and wind driven rain.

Wet Floodproofing

The phrase “wet floodproofing” may sound like a contradiction, but it is the label used to refer to a collection of methods intended to reduce damage to a building when flooding occurs.

Window Opening Protection

Because of their vulnerabilities, it is important to protect windows and window openings. Installing storm shutters or impact-resistant windows are two methods to use for protecting window openings.

Youth Resources

Youth Preparedness Initiative

The Youth Preparedness Initiative is aimed at preparing young people for emergencies, disasters, and various life challenges.

Teaching Youth How to Build an Emergency Kit

Teaching youth about emergency preparedness provides essential life skills and empowers them to be proactive in unexpected crises.

The Flood Fighter Challenge

The Flood Fighter Challenge enables youth to understand the importance of an elevated home and other ways to protect a home from flooding and to learn how to use limited supplies to protect a home from a flood.

Wind Resilience Marshmallow Challenge

The Wind Resilience Marshmallow Challenge enables youth to understand the concepts of resilience and biomimicry as well as build a nature-inspired structure that can withstand different speeds of wind.

After the Storm

Using Generators for Electrical Power

Emergency generators become popular after disasters. They can help save food in freezers and refrigerators, but they also may be dangerous if not used properly.

Hiring a Mold Remediation Contractor

Hurricanes, floods and extended disaster evacuations can result in extensive mold growth in many homes at the same time – creating a cleanup crisis. Everyone with a water-damaged home faces similar challenges, since mold must be remediated before repairs can begin.

Storm Damage Cleanup Highlights

This fact sheet highlights key guidelines to help you safely and effectively clean and restore your storm-damaged home and contents.

FAQs – After Gutting a Flooded Home

After a flood, it's now common knowledge that it's necessary to promptly remove floorings (except fully adhered ceramic tile), open walls and discard wet insulation. The next steps in restoration can spawn many questions, and answers unfortunately tend to vary from source to source.

Operating a Chainsaw Safely

Chainsaws are popular tools for both homeowners and professionals because they have so many uses – tree trimming, cutting firewood, cleaning up after storms, etc. Although chainsaws are handy, they are potentially dangerous and must be used carefully to avoid serious injury.