Follow These 8 Steps & Always Be Prepared For Hurricanes In NJ

No doubt that by now, at least, you've seen or heard about all the devastation in Florida due to the impact of Hurricane Ian this week.

Not that hurricane damage is uncommon in that part of the country, but it's always a scary time every time the season brings a bad one to the southern shores. New Jersey residents know that all too well. While we don't always get hit with really bad hurricanes every season like they do down south, we have seen our fair share of storm destruction along the Garden State coastline.

Hurricane Sandy was a rough one for the folks up and down the Jersey coast. While most people rebuilt and have moved on by now, there are others that chose not to rebuild along the beaches here in the Garden State. The devastation and damage just proved too much to bear. No judgement there, right?

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With all that being said, there's no guarantee that the Garden State won't ever experience a storm that bad again. Now, we're not expected to see anything besides rainfall and a few wind gusts (40-45+ mph, to be exact, so still be careful) as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ian, but it never hurts to remind yourself of what to do should we ever find ourselves in Mother Nature's way like that again.

1.) Gather Extra Food and Water

While this should be the obvious first step, it might not be since we are so used to storms around here. However, with the state of the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding storm devastation on top of that might just make you wish you had taken that extra trip to the grocery store.

You may think you have plenty of food since you stocked up for the pandemic, but definitely make sure you have plenty of water, God forbid the worst should happen.

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2.) Pick Up Some Medicine

IB Profin, Tylenol, Advil, allergy medicine, kleenex, all your basics, make sure you have them. If the storm hits hard, you don't know when or if you'll be able to head to CVS, so it doesn't hurt to grab a few extra bottles of everyday medicine.

3.) Get Some Emergency Power Sources

You'll want to make sure you have enough batteries for a flashlight (a real one, not your phone) and even enough for a battery-powered radio. If you don't have a generator, then you won't be able to watch TV if the power goes out. You'll need to keep tabs on what's going on somehow. That's when you'll power up that old radio and tune it to us so you'll get all the important details.

Also, it doesn't hurt to have some self-charging devices for your other pieces of smart technology like your cell phone, laptop, etc. Doesn't mean you'll be able to use them once they're charged, necessarily. But, just in case you CAN get service, you'll have something to charge your phone with.

4.) Have All Essential Documents and Papers Handy and Safe

Make sure you've sealed important documents like your birth certificate, social security card, etc. so they're not damaged or lost.

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5.) Get a Fire Extinguisher

Honestly, you should already have one in your home, but in case you don't, go get one. Make sure you know how to use it in case things get bad.

6.) Fill Up Your Tank

If you need to bug out fast, you're not going to have time to put gas in your car. Not to mention, the lines could be ridiculously long. It's best to just take care of that before the storm gets here should you need to make a quick getaway.

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7.) Get Your Pets Ready

God forbid you should need to evacuate and aren't able to take your pets, figure out a plan for them now so they won't have to go to a shelter. Make a plan to drop them off with a family friend or relative. It's not fair they should have to suffer without someone familiar around to comfort them.

8.) Clean Up The Yard NOW

This one, whether you live in a single-family home OR an apartment, is probably the easiest and most important aspect of making sure you're prepared when the storm hits. You want to make sure your yard is clear of anything that could be potentially be hurled towards your windows as a result of the strong winds.

Why would you have to worry about this in an apartment? While it's true you don't have a yard to worry about, you, most likely, do have either a patio or balcony with loose furniture of décor on it. If you can bring that inside, great. If not, try to strap it down.

You can find out even more advice so that you're as prepared as you can be HERE.

Source: CDC.gov

Fuhgeddaboudit! Great Jersey names for a hurricane

No question New Jersey has been hit hard by hurricanes and tropical storms the last few years. From Ida, to Henri, to Isaias, to Fay and to Sally. But where on earth are they getting these names? Steve Trevelise thinks if they had "Jersey" names, they would be more intimidating. He asked his Facebook following for some suggestions, here's some of what they came up with.

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