Hurricane Preparations and Getting your House ready

First you need to know what kind of flood danger to expect on your property and the surrounding area. One good source of information are any longtime natives living in the area. Find someone who has been through a hurricane or flood and ask them how the local properties and roads were affected. Make your evacuations plans based on this knowledge of how bad the area floods, what roads will flood, and what you and your family's abilities are, to ride out a storm. If you live in a flood prone area, down along the beach, along a bayou or creek, or near a drainage area, then you should definitely get out at least 24 hours before the storm is predicted to come ashore.
Hurricanes unlike tornados have sustained winds from 75 to over 200 mph that can last for over 12 hours. These type winds can down huge trees, rip roofs totally off, and cause houses to explode outward. You need to check for dangerous trees that need to be cut down, overhanging limbs that need to be trimmed, and smaller shrubs and branches that should be cut back so they don't beat on your house. Be sure your roof is in good shape before hurricane season. Hurricane roof straps should have been installed during construction. If not then you need to get some put in to strengthen the connection between the roof  and the walls. Check for loose shingles and rotten roof members and get them repaired or replaced. These are the starting points for wind damage that can lead to major house failures.
The next major points of wind damage are your windows and doors. You need to plan for their protection now by installing functional hurricane rated shutters that can be fastened securely. If the closed shutters can be rattled by you shaking them then the wind will shake them apart. 1/2 to 3/4 inch plywood is needed to make  good protective coverings. You need to measure, cut and predrill for attachment, all the pieces you'll need. Mark each one to match it up with the window or door it goes too before putting them in storage. You're trying to protect the windows from flying projectiles so don't skimp on these and use lots of good strong screws for fasteners.  Brick and concrete walls will need anchors installed. If a window or door gets broken open during a storm the resulting inrushing wind can cause the house to explode outward and the roof to lift off. Garage doors are a major problem because of their size and how loosely they tend to hang allowing for movement in the wind. they are often the major cause of whole house failure during a storm. You need to have a garage door that is rated to withstand hurricane force winds and/or you need to install garage door hurricane braces. These braces connect to the concrete slab the door rest on, the upper frame of the door, and the door itself, to support it from within.
Next you need to think about other ways water will try to enter your house. Check the drainage making sure that water will flow away from the house and not toward it down driveways and hillsides. Funnel water away from the structure using shallow ditches, drainage tiles, and surface contouring. Your gutters will have to stand up to torrential rain amounts, see that they are attached securely, not clogged or damaged, and will divert water far enough away from the house that it will not flood the foundation. Look for cracks in outside walls, around doors and windows, and in your foundation. Use good quality caulk or mortar to fill in any potential leak areas. You may need to replace damaged wood siding and I will tell you right now that from what I have seen, vinyl siding will not hold up well to hurricane force winds.
Once you have these outside areas up to par, you need to get things in order inside the house. Plan for the protection of important documents, computer hard drives, family photos, expensive heirlooms, and family pets. Water and fire proof security boxes are a good idea as they can easily be locked up and carried with you if you leave. If you have a large freezer you should use it to store drinkable water. Any empty space in the freezer should be used to stockpile jugs and bottles of clean water. Besides giving you drinking water this will also help the freezer to stay cold longer after a power outage, and to run more efficiently in the meantime. The less empty space in a freezer the easier it is for it to stay cold. Only fill the clean empty jugs or bottles 2/3's of the way full when freezing them and leave the tops off till frozen. Stock your pantry now by watching for sales on canned goods, non-perishables, and paper goods you will need after a storm. Be sure you have a hand-crank can opener and a grill to cook on after the storm that has adequate fuel to use. Candles are not a good idea, but a kerosene lantern, if used safely, can be useful. Again be sure you have fuel for it and matches. First aid supplies, fire extenguishers, tools, battery radios, flashlights, and batteries themselves, should be kept on hand. After a storm you will need repair and clean up equipment such as ladders, ropes, saws, gloves, trash containers, mops and buckets.
If you believe that you will need a generator due to prolonged power outages, now is the time to learn about them and buy one. Study up on the size you will need, the different types, how to use one safely, and the dangers they present. Be sure you have everything you need to hook one up safely including adequate fuel. Don't expect to run your whole house off of one small generator. You can ruin major appliances by trying to run them with too small a power source. I have mentioned having fuel stored up several times now and that also means for your car, but it needs to be stored correctly. You should use fuel storage containers rated for that type of fuel and store them in a shed away from the main house. Understand also that gas can and will go bad over time, so use up your old store and get fresh each season.
All the things I have covered so far need to be done well before there is a threat of a storm. Now to cover some things you need to do once a storm is threatening. Keep informed about the storm strength and progess. Tracking charts are not really a necessity these days with constant tv and internet coverage, but if it helps you to chart the storms path get a chart and mark out the longitude and latitude with every update. If you are going to evacuate make plans several days ahead of time of where you will go, how pets will be conveyed and housed, how medical needs will be handled, and what you will take with you. Find out where several shelters are in case you can't go to your first choice due to overcrowding or traffic problems. Be sure the car is gased up and in working condition with good wipers and tires. Turn off gas mains and water supplies to your house if you leave to prevent leaks if pipes are damaged. Turn off hot water heaters, unplug main appliances, and turn off your central heat/air before leaving. Get plenty of cash for use after the storm, credit cards and ATM's won't work without power.
In the kitchen, while you still have power, use the perishable foods in the refridgerator to make a nice meal. Cook up some breads and cakes to use up milk, butter, and the like. These will keep after the storm for later meals, which will usually be sandwiches so be sure you have lunch meats and breads.  Wash clothes and dishes while you can and be sure to have plenty of diapers and bed sheets on hand. Check your supply of cleaners, rubber gloves, trash bags, ice chests and paper goods. Fill your tub with water for flushing toilets and check that your cell phones are charged up and have plenty of minutes. Call to let family and friends know where you will be staying and be sure that all faimily members know emergency phone numbers.
Last minute things to do outside include: Storing all items that may become projectiles, taking down hanging wind chimes, plant baskets, and swings, tying down storage sheds and large dog houses, and putting up your protective window and door covers. Don't wait too late to cover the windows and doors as strong winds will usually proceed a storm by as much as 24 hours. It can be impossible to handle large sheets of plywood in strong winds and deadly to do so on ladders for second story windows. Remember that you will need to be able get out of the house so one door should be left uncovered. This needs to be a door on the side of the house away from where the strongest winds will hit. Because the winds go around a hurricane in a counter clockwise direction this usually means the strongest winds will be from a generally easterly direction. Anywhere from the northeast to the south depending on where you live and the direction the storm is approaching from. If you live along the western coast of Fla. then the strongest winds may be from a westerly direction. If you have a swinging screen door on this uncovered entrance it will have to be tied shut so the wind won't batter it open and close during a storm. Simply tie a strong string to the inside solid door knob and pass it through the door way pulling it tight as you close the door. Then tie it to the outside handle of the screen door to tie it shut. This will be about the last thing you will do before leaving or if you are staying do it in reverse to tie it off inside.