What to Stock, What to Secure, and When: Your Caribbean Storm Checklist

A storm is coming. Don't panic — work the list. Do a little each day and you'll be ready before the wind picks up.

Get ahead of the crowd

• Check your supplies. Look at what you already have before you shop.
• Buy water: one gallon per person per day, for at least three days. A family of four needs 12 gallons.
• Stock food that needs no cooking and no fridge: crackers, canned tuna, peanut butter, cereal, dried fruit.
• Fill any prescriptions. Get a two-week supply of daily medicine if you can.
• Check your flashlights and buy batteries. One flashlight per person.
• Fill your car with gas. If a storm is near, stations run out fast.
• Know where your important papers are: IDs, insurance papers, house papers. Put copies in a sealed plastic bag.

Secure the house

• Bring inside anything the wind can throw: patio chairs, plants, trash cans, toys, grills.
• Trim dead branches near the house if you still have time.
• Check your shutters or buy plywood now. Measure windows ahead of time so you are not guessing in the store.
• Charge everything: phones, power banks, laptops, rechargeable lights.
• Do your laundry and run the dishwasher. You may not have power or water for days.
• Get cash. If the power is out, card machines do not work.
• Talk to your family: where will everyone go if you must leave? Pick a meeting spot.

Lock it down

• Put up shutters or board the windows.
• Turn your fridge and freezer to the coldest setting. Freeze bottles of water — they keep food cold longer if the power dies.
• Fill bathtubs and big pots with water for washing and flushing.
• Unplug electronics you are not using. A power surge can fry them.
• Bring pets inside. Make sure they have food and water too.
• Stay off the roads. Most storm injuries happen to people driving through water.

Stay put

• Stay inside, away from windows. An inside room with no windows is safest.
• Do not go outside when it gets calm in the middle. That is the eye — the wind comes back from the other side.
• Use flashlights, not candles. One knocked candle can burn a house down.
• Keep your phone charged and save battery. Text instead of calling.
• Listen to official updates on the radio or your phone.

Go slow

• Wait for the all-clear before going outside. Watch for downed power lines — treat every wire as live.
• Do not walk or drive through flood water. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
• Throw out food that got warm. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Take photos of any damage before you clean up. Your insurance needs them.
• Check on neighbors, especially older folks living alone.
• Boil water if officials tell you to.

Print this list and stick it on the fridge at the start of every storm season. Future you will be glad you did.