June 1 begins Hurricane Season and runs until November 30. This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week, which runs from May 24 - 30. We are lucky because this gives us time to think about how we can become prepared to face one of these scary and dangerous storms in case we find ourselves in the path of one. If you have a pet, you have something extra to prepare for just in case. This picture was taken after a two day Nor'easter that wasn't nearly as strong as a hurricane. We awoke unprepared for this. I hope "never again!"
Last year while traveling, we were in Oklahoma City during a spate of very strong tornadoes. One night we were surrounded by storms so I placed the bag, leashes, computer, and my husband's meds right by the door so we could grab them and be out the door with our pups right away if we needed to evacuate the camper. It was scary, but sometime after 1:00 am the storms died off. With a hurricane, you have more time and there are great resources to help you do that!
I have implemented many of the ideas that Bayou Rescue lists on the website. I always have a "doggie bag" which has bandages, emergency food, meds, and things that I think might be needed "just in case". Bayou Rescue has a great resource site that gives Pet Emergency Preparedness Checklists and Pet Emergency Kit Checklists. You can download the checklists at their site: http://bayourescue.org/Pages/emergency.html where you will be reminded about microchiping your pet, having ID tags for the pet, emailing pet photos to your self and to an emergency contact to keep in case the pet is missing. There are other great suggestions on this site, as well.
For more information about Hurricane Preparedness Week and what you need to do to be safe, check out this article: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=48478
I hope you stay safe this Hurricane Season and that you prepare ahead of time just in case!
