It is Hurricane Preparedness Week -- an important reminder that Hurricane Season is less than a month away and NOW is the time to get ready.
Making your emergency kit is a good place to start.
Pack more food and water than you think you’ll need. A good rule of thumb is at least one gallon of water per person -- per day -- for three to five days.
The same goes for ready-to-eat canned foods. Plan to need enough for three to five days.
Grab a prepackaged first-aid kit, and make sure you add a bottle of pain reliever if it’s not already in there.
RELATED: Determine your risk | Before the storm, know your evacuation zone | Assemble disaster supplies | Check your insurance and coverage | Strengthen your home | Help your neighbor
Another item that might seem obvious is flashlights. You’ll want one per person.
It’s also a good idea to grab a battery-operated radio, tool kit, manual can opener, and extra personal hygiene products -- like toilet paper (not something you want to run out of, for sure).
Don’t forget EXTRA batteries and portable phone chargers.
We live in a digital world, but the CDC recommends that you still print important documents before a storm and keep them in a waterproof pouch.
We are talking about insurance policies, medical records, financial records, and a checklist of everything in your home.
It’s still a good idea to save all of this in a cloud-based online server, but power outages can keep you from accessing that online information when you need it most.
If you already have a kit, make sure it is up to date.
Eat any food that has a “best by” date within the next six months and replace it with food that will remain good for longer than six months.
Throw out any expired foods, medications, and bottled water.
If you stored water in your own containers, change it out every six months.
Also, take a close look at your batteries.
Replace any that are leaking and swap partially used batteries with fresh ones.
Even unused batteries should be replaced every three to five years.
You can find a full list of emergency kit essentials and a step-by-step example of how to find your evacuation zone on our Hurricane Plan & Prepare page.