by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: April 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 19, 2010

Every year, June 1st signals the beginning of hurricane season. From then until the end of November, anyone who lives along the coastal areas or in the path of potentially bad weather needs to be prepared. The outer bands or storm remnants can wreak havoc for the uninitiated so it's essential to be prepared for any potentially catastrophic storm.

There are many things one can do to prepare for storm season. Knowing what to do, and planning in advance can very well mean the difference between enduring a minor inconvenience, suffering from devastation from which it may not be possible to recover, especially when it could have been avoided or at the worst, losing one or more family members. Whatever you do, don't wait until the last minute to get prepared for hurricane season. You can greatly reduce the stress and anxiety that is associated with imminent hurricanes by making plans and preparing yourself long in advance.

♣Learn from what you may have observed during previous hurricanes -

Many people are horrified to find that after a hurricane, their homeowners insurance won't pay for any repairs because they didn't have the proper insurance. Flood or hurricane insurance may be significantly more expensive, but having it may mean the difference between having a place to live after the storm or not. Paying for it all along will ensure that you are covered and protected and you will know in advance what you can expect to have the insurance cover after the storm. It will provide you with a lot of peace of mind. Paying for the cost of repairs yourself may not be possible if the damage is extensive.

♣Assemble a hurricane readiness kit -

A hurricane readiness kit is designed to ensure that your family has all of the necessary supplies, food items, water, paper items, food utensils, medications, important home, health and auto insurance papers, social security cards, passports, important phone numbers including insurance companies, pharmacies, family members, doctors, and other essential numbers.

♣Create an evacuation plan -

Also plan an evacuation route and highlight it on a map. Inform family members of your plans so that they can check on you. Purchase extra cell phone batteries and a car adapter. A car adapter will allow you to charge the phone using the car battery if necessary.

A GPS device can be very helpful. You can plug in various destinations or an evacuation route and that will allow you to rest assured that you won't get lost. Some GPS systems

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