5 Things Everyone In Ashburn Should Know About Hurricane Season (But Most Don’t)

Ashburn, VA: There are 5 things everyone should know about hurricane season but most don’t. These tips are mainly for those who are not forced to evacuate but may be impacted by a hurricane. Here is how we discovered these 5 things:

  • We conducted over a dozen interviews with emergency management professionals at the federal, state, and local levels.
  • We invested 42 hours in researching the strategies of successful inland survivors from Hurricanes Florence & Katrina.
  • We volunteered for over 80 hours in hurricane cleanup efforts, gaining firsthand experience with storm damage.

1. Types of Food & Water

Your primary objective is to ensure you and your family can survive for two weeks without external help or electricity. Stock up on non-perishable food items such as bread, peanut butter, jerky, canned goods, protein bars, and meals requiring only hot water. Don’t forget two weeks’ worth of pet food if you have furry friends.

Aim to store about 15 gallons of water per person. Our research indicated that large, 10-gallon water jugs were more efficient than a lot of smaller containers. Avoid using your bathtub to store water or getting H2O from your water heater.

Bonus Tip: If last-minute store runs give you nothing but empty shelves, think outside the box. Look for overlooked items like tonic water, sparkling water, or bread rolls from the deli.

2. Light

Having enough lighting is often underestimated. Ensure you have a reliable light source by stocking up on headlamps, flashlights, and batteries. Candles are an alternative, but use stormproof matches for added security.

3. Insurance & Your Valuables

If flooding is a risk, safeguard valuable documents and photos with waterproof containers. They are more effective than ziplock bags. If evacuation becomes necessary, spend 15-30 minutes photographing your home’s interior, including closets, drawers, and cabinets. Ensure these images are backed up in the cloud. This is crucial for insurance claims

4. Medication & Supplies

Stock up on a two-week supply of any necessary prescription medications for yourself, family members, or pets. Assemble a medical kit. According to our research, communication, clothing, and diapers were the most commonly overlooked supplies. Invest in a battery-powered or crank radio to stay informed. Prepare enough diapers for infants and have enough clean clothes (including underwear) for all household members to last two weeks.

5. Generators

Generators can change everything depending on your setup. You have two options when it comes to generators:

  1. Portable Generator
  2. House Generator

Portable Generators: They are a great budget option. It will not power your entire house but you can plug in your fridge and some fans to keep everyone cool. However, there are some drawbacks. 

  • They require lots of gas. 
  • Gas becomes harder to get & more expensive when the city is under a hurricane watch.
  • During Katrina and Florence, several people died as a result of their generator.
  • People were injured or killed due to being electrocuted, burned, or poisoned by carbon monoxide from their generators.

If you are going to use the budget generator option, make sure you & your loved ones know what you are doing. Most important, when using the generator, NEVER use the equipment indoors or in partially enclosed spaces because carbon monoxide was the leading cause of generator deaths.

House Generators: If you own a home in Ashburn and have the budget, then we HIGHLY recommend this option. When you have a house generator installed, as soon as the power goes out in your home, it will turn on without you having to lift a finger. While everyone else waits for power to be restored you can survive in your home with almost all of your normal comforts like air conditioning, fridge, stove, microwave, TV, etc. Our study of hurricane survivors showed a dramatic difference in the experience of those who had house generators vs those who did not. Those who had house generators when the power was out essentially lived a normal life. In addition, outside of keeping the fridge running, the thing people loved the most about their house generator was having access to air conditioning. As you know, it gets hot here and when the power goes out for ANY reason, that house generator is a GODSEND.

We researched over 50 electrical companies that install house generators. The company with the best deal and ratings was Mister Sparky of Ashburn. House generators are not cheap but this company is the most affordable, local, and dependable. If you live within a 15-mile radius of Ashburn, own a home & are 50 or older then you may qualify for a special discount. You get a free estimate, a $300 discount plus a whole house surge protector for free (normally $299). The deal is not listed on their website but if you click the link below and answer some brief questions, then you will get the deal if you qualify 

SEE IF YOU QUALIFY HERE – FREE

Hope these tips helped and take care of yourself & your loved ones!