Hurricane rookies: How to prepare now for Dorian, or any other storm
TAMPA, Fla. - As Hurricane Dorian churns towards Florida, now is the time to make sure you're prepared. Although you hear it time and time again, if you've never been through a hurricane before or are new to Florida, it's hard to know exactly what that means.
FOX 13's Elizabeth Fry -- covering her first storm -- hit the stores to find out what locals said are the must-have essentials in order to be hurricane prepared.
"Right now on my list, literally, a loaf of bread and sandwich meat. Things you can just make," said Paola Sacasa, a local shopper.
A three- to five-day supply of nonperishable foods is a must. Bread, canned goods and energy bars are a great place to start.
"I have chips, bread, peanut butter, tuna and bananas," said Micaela Noonan, a shopper stocking up on supplies.
In case the power goes out, flashlights and batteries or candles and matches are good to have on hand. A radio to stay up-to-date on the latest with the storm is also essential.
But you can't forget about the fun!
"You pull out the board games and all of those things for the kids if you're out of electricity," Sacasa said.
However, the must-have essential while getting ready for a hurricane is often the hardest to find: Water.
Most stores are enforcing a two package per customer limit; however, Home Depot was more lenient, allowing customers to take nine.
Tampa Bay area stores were running out of water as early as Thursday morning, but store managers promised there would be more in the coming days. They are still encouraging customers to get there early in order to get everything on their list.
"I'm stocking up on water for the hurricane and also I'll be also be getting some sandbags once I get off work, trying to make sure I don't get caught off guard," said Tampa resident Marshall Stoddard.
While many shoppers hit the stores for last minute shopping, they all had the same message.
"Get ready and be prepared," Albert Duggins said.
LINK: To get your own printable hurricane prep shopping list, click here.
Hurricane Dorian preparations:
- Citrus County
- DeSoto County
- Hardee County
- Hernando County
- Highlands County
- Hillsborough County
- Manatee County
- Pasco County
- Pinellas County
- Polk County
- Sarasota County
- Sumter County