Hurricane Season has started, and with major flooding in parts of the country, and states of emergency being called, it is a good time to take stock of your medications and what you might need in case a hurricane comes your way. Hurricanes can affect large areas, not just the places directly in their path. Storm winds can cause power outages, downed trees and dangerous driving conditions. If you live directly in a hurricanes path, it might be necessary to evacuate your home.
Before storm season starts, it is a good idea to take stock of all your medications and what you might need if you have to leave your house quickly. Keeping all your medications, with a list of dosages and prescription refills all in the same place is a good idea. You could even keep your daily medications in one handy prescription bag that is easy to grab if you have to leave your home unexpectedly when the storm hits.
When the weather stations start predicting that you are in a Hurricane’s path, it is time to make sure that you have an adequate supply of all your medications. You should have at least a week’s worth of medication available, and if you don’t, you should call in the refills. You might be forced to evacuate your home, or the travel conditions may be dangerous and you might be homebound for several days. You should be prepared for either of these scenarios.
If you are able to stay at your home, storms may down power lines or trees, and you may lose power for several days. If you have any medical equipment that needs power, you should also have a plan for how you will deal with this. For example, if you use a nebulizer for your asthma, you can look into having a battery backup for the nebulizer, or another option would be a car adapter, so you can use the nebulizer in the car. If you have medical equipment that needs constant power, you might want to look into purchasing a generator so that you can use your equipment even when you lose power.
The good news is that generally hurricanes and their aftermath only last a few days and if you are properly prepared, you can weather the storm.