Is Your Bahamas Home Hurricane Ready?

The 2011 hurricane season official kicked off June 1 and Irene is currently barrelling towards us.
This doesn't mean we'll be hit by a hurricane. Irene could fizzle or change direction. But several island nations, including the Bahamas, are taking stock, as is South Florida.
The key is to be ready to move, should Irene decide to pay an unwelcome visit.
Irene is the first hurricane threat to the Bahamas for the 2011 season.
Bahamas homes are typically well built. Our building code is strict and most homes were built by tried and true conventional methods. In fact, after Hurricane Andrew pounded a couple of islands in the Bahamas and devastated Homestead, Florida, in 1992, it was noted that Bahamas homes stood up to the force of nature much better. The South Florida Building Code was amended to adopt the best features of Bahamas home building code.
Nevertheless, hurricanes need to be taken seriously. Those homes most at risk obviously are low lying and coastal. Coastal residents should have a plan to evacuate and boat owners need to know how they're going to deal with their boats in advance.
Click here for a Hurricane Preparation List.

The larger boats need to be secured in safe anchorage and run-abouts that can't be put in a hurricane safe shelter should be hauled. Make plans well in advance because dry dock space is limited and you don't – I repeat, you don't – want to leave your boat tied to an open dock.
If you don't have one, a generator is a fantastic investment. And please, let a professional install and take care of repairs. If you don't know what you're doing, you can have a serious, even fatal, accident.
Hurricanes are a lot of work. You need to provision up and secure any object (patio furniture, potted plants and so on) that can turn into missiles. Trim coconuts from the trees (flying cannon balls) and so on.
It's especially important to have enough drinking water on hand, as well as water for flushing toilets and cleaning up. The water supply may be cut off. That's why we're told to fill bathtubs and containers.
Secure all essentials, such as passports and other documentation, valuables and necessary medicine in a grab bag.