Filed under: Essential Skills, Know-How
Yeah, there's a hurricane hurtling towards a big swathe of the country. And if you've evacuated to a safer place or are waiting it out, it's time to take a few minutes to make sure you are super, incredibly, 100% prepared. Here's a few of the best tried-and-true tips from DIYLife readers for getting through a hurricane. 
Admittedly, writing a preparedness guide is probably the one thing that is keeping me from having a minor fit about this hurricane business. That, and vodka (which is number #3 on the following list).
That said, I'm hoping that you won't really need this list. I hope it goes into the "Hey, good to know!" category of your brain, along with useless facts about the favorite sandwich of Elvis and the lyrics to "Don't Stop Believing."
- Make sure the windows are taped. Duct or masking tape can be used for this. Make an "X" across each pane of glass, then cross it over again with tape for good measure. And I've recently discovered that Con-Tact paper works brilliantly well--just cut a length long enough to fit on the pane, remove the backing, press to the glass.
- Whatever you do, DON'T open a window. There's an old wives' tale going around that if you crack a window, it'll correct a pressure imbalance that can crack windows. And you know what else is an old wives' tale? That goats eat tin cans, which makes them nature's recycling plants. And it's just as incorrect. An open window will just introduce your interior to 80+ mph winds, which is what leads to not only windows breaking, but the roof of your home getting blown apart.
- Turn a C into a D...battery, that is. Most radios take D batteries, which are in short supply. If you have any C's on hand, try this: Place the C into the battery area, then slide in a few quarters to fill out the empty space between the spring and battery. Why does it work? A C battery is the same voltage as a D, and the quarters are conductive.
- Bring out the vodka. This can help steady nerves...but also it can do things like clean out cuts and scrapes, sterilize things, etc. But mainly, I hope you will be using it in a cocktail.
- Place a few bottles of water in the freezer. Now. If the power goes off, the bottles can be used to keep food fresh. As the ice melts, you'll have nice cold water.
- Store candles in the freezer, too. This will make them last 1-2 hours longer.
- Water...everywhere. Fill up bathtubs, storage containers, buckets. Why? If the water gets shut off, there's the delicate matter of bathroom issues. Namely, flushing the toilet. A small bucket of water will take away the waste.
- Things getting scary? Get in the closet. You want to be as far away from windows as possible, in a small room with load-bearing walls. For most of us, it's the closet.
- Make an olive oil lamp. Just fill a clean jar or bottle with olive oil, then wrap a length of wire around a scrap of 100% cotton (old, clean sock will work as material). Place the makeshift wick inside the jar/bottle, then light. For a more polished tutorial, visit Instructables.
- Stay calm. Yeah, easier said than done. But when faced with a tough time, panicking will accomplish nothing. If you find yourself panicking, take 10 deep breaths. And have something on hand that will distract you. For me, that's a small selection of Nancy and Sluggo comics.
- Know these numbers. Here's a list of phone numbers for the Office of Emergency Management in the states that will likely be affected by the hurricane this weekend:
Connecticut: 800-397-8876
Delaware: 877-SAY-DEMA
Maryland: 877-636-2872
Massachusetts: 508-820-2000
New Jersey: 609-963-6964
New York: 518-242-5000 or 212-867-7060
North Carolina: 919-733-3867
Pennsylvania: 717-651-2001
Virginia: 802-244-8721
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Source: http://www.diylife.com/2011/08/27/tried-and-true-hurricane-survival-tips-good-to-know/
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