Hurricane season in Los Cabos runs officially from May 15th to November 30th – we have had hurricanes in Los Cabos as early as June, however the main month to prepare for is September. This is when the most storms have affected our area in Los Cabos.
During a tropical storm (including hurricanes), the rain and wind come in bands. Meaning, we’ll have a squall, and then some calm, and then another squall, and then calm, until the bands are closer together. If a storm stays offshore, sometimes this means more rain (the outer bands of the storm usually contain more rain), and sometimes more rain does more damage than the wind. Our highways and roads are not set up for rain. Drive slowly, even if you are an experienced rain driver. Those of us from Los Cabos are not as experienced seeing as though our average number of days with rain per year is about 14 days.
Prepare certain items in advance, such as having palm trees and all landscaping trimmed – this way you reduce possible projectiles. Secure construction materials. We personally have some hurricane shutters that are easy (accordions, so we just close them once the storm is on us); and other shutters are stationary and more difficult to put up – so we put the stationary ones up for the first storm and leave them up all season-long.
If a storm looks like it is going to hit or come close – hope for the best, prepare for the worst – the key things you must do are:
- Get some cash – if the power goes out you won’t be able to use cards so having cash on hand is key. You don’t need a boat load, just enough to get through a couple days or maybe a couple weeks, tops.
- Bottled water. Consider getting a few “garrafones” filled before a storm arrives. Depending on how many people in your family, you should probably plan on at least one per person. (You can never have too much water).
- Stock up on non-perishable foods. Some good options are nuts, beef jerky, noodles, canned tuna, pre-cooked beans, tortillas, peanut butter, granola bars, ramen, apples, potatoes – you get the idea. One of my all-time favorite hurricane treats are snickers bars. Sometimes after a storm you just need that extra boost of calories in yummy chocolate form.
- Fill your gas tanks (propane, vehicles, extra) – if you have a generator, make sure it works ahead of time and make sure you have some gas and oil for it. There’s nothing worse than having a generator and not being able to use it. Sometimes our generators sit unused for several years, so it is a good rule of thumb to start it up every so often to keep it functional.
- The random stuff: Candles, matches, flashlight, batteries, duct tape, soap, toilet paper, trash bags, paper towels, wet wipes, feminine products, diapers and formula (if you have babies), and plenty of food for your pets, too. Electrolytes, Gatorade, Pediasure, Protein Powder – these are all very helpful things.
- Bug spray (it gets buggy after storms!!) and cleaning products. You might want an extra broom or mop, squeegee, buckets, bleach, things to help clean up the mess…gardening tools in case you need to cut back fallen branches, etc…
- Charge your electronics – if the power goes out, remember you can charge your phone in your car – be sure you have an adapter if needed.
Once you have these items, the next thing you need to do is prepare your home and find a safe room to ride out the storm.
If you have hurricane shutters on every window, then you can live in your whole house during a storm. Otherwise, prepare an area of your home such as a large closet, bathroom, man cave – somewhere without windows and a place that preferably does not flood – a bathroom is great in case the storm lasts a long time – during Odile I sheltered in a bathroom/closet for nearly 10 hours. Do not run out to check on anything during the storm!!
Prepare your house ahead of time so that you aren’t compelled to run around fixing things. Put trash cans away if they are outdoors, place potted plants on the ground, tucked away if possible – you don’t want your potted plants to turn into projectiles during the storm. Remove and store any outdoor furniture and décor. When in doubt, put it away.I have seen the weirdest things end up several houses away depending on how the wind catches.
Once the storm is on, you really shouldn’t go outside (unless it is during the eye of the storm, and even then, be sure you stay close to shelter, the winds will pick back up soon) and you should not walk around rooms with exposed windows.
Indoors, if you don’t have hurricane shutters, consider moving all your art, decorations and especially electronics into the driest rooms possible. I went through hurricane Odile and had 11 windows blow out, but I didn’t lose anything – I had packed all my belongings into two bathrooms and hunkered down in the third. I looked like an insane person putting everything away, but it paid off in the end.
Some other items to consider: make sure your staff is ok and prepared – consider paying them a salary in advance so they too have cash on hand. If it’s raining and they take the bus, give them a ride home. Let them go home early if it’s stormy, they must prepare too.
BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS DURING THE STORM!
Stay safe, make sure you have some storm buddies. Check on your neighbors, friends, and family after the storm. Ration what you have if it was a bad storm but share with your neighbors if can.
What other suggestions do you have??