Every summer, Hurricane Season rolls around and brings a sense of worry to everyone along the Gulf Coast.

You can avoid that worry by always being prepared for the worst to happen and hoping it doesn’t.

How can you stay weather-aware? First, have an evacuation plan in place. If the storm gets strong enough to where you are worried for your safety by staying, where can you go? Do you have family in another state, is there a vacation you can take to get out of town, etc?

Also, non-perishable food items are an integral part of being prepared. Once you lose power, it’ll be hard to cook anything, so make sure you have foods that can be eaten out of a can or container (soup, veggies, etc). Also, chips, cookies, and anything that doesn’t need to be cooked or refrigerated is key here.

Lastly, necessities. Batteries, a flashlight, a radio to hear the latest from local officials, and candles are key pieces to a hurricane kit. Every house in Louisiana should have a premade hurricane kit that they can easily access in case of emergency.

Stay safe this Hurricane Season and always be ready for when one could strike!