The Power is Out

You have your flashlights and your radio, right? And fresh batteries.

If you have a generator, you don't have to run it constantly to save the stuff in your fridge. Don't open the doors often, to keep in the cold air, and run the generator for a few hours, maybe twice a day.

Make sure your generator is in a well ventilated area!! Even a screened-in porch can contain enough carbon monoxide to kill you. Before, during, or after a hurricane, someone always dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure you know and understand the safety rules before you fire up that generator, and be very careful.

Many people rely on candles for lighting after a storm, and that has its own dangers. You don't want your house to survive a hurricane only to burn down a few days later.

The U.S. Fire Administration provides a checklist of safety tips that's well worth reading.