Hurricane Preparedness

Here are some things I'd recommend to anyone facing a storm this hurricane season.

Get plywood early. As the storm nears, plywood is in short supply. Board up windows using screws not nails. I don't know where the idea of taping up windows came from, but its a myth and does nothing. Don't waste your time.
If you have a fence, get some 2 x 4's and prop up your fence on both sides. Fences took a very hard hit here, they act like huge parachutes or wind catchers. The few I saw standing had been buttrossed before the storm. The quote to fix my fence was $3800; more than I spent to build it.
Get plenty of bottled water to drink and fill everything you can with water for washing, bathing, and cleaning. Water goes fast and I regretted not filling tubs before the storm hit. Luckily water trickled on after 2-3 days here, but those days were unpleasant and it could have taken longer.
Dan Eason bought blocks of ice and put them in his freezers. That move saved a lot of his food. When Peter and I were throwing away food from other people's freezers 2 and even 3 days after the storm, Dan still had stuff in his that was frozen solid.
Get a good battery powered radio, lots of flashlights, maybe a battery powered lantern, and plenty of batteries. A good Q beam is a nice thing to have, particulary one that recharges in your car. I cannot even begin to describe how dark it is at night when there isn't a light for miles.
If you can afford it, get a good generator and get it early. FEMA supposedly reimbursed people for 5500kw models which are more than enough to power freezers and a few lights. Whatever generator you buy, stock up on gasoline and lots of it. Our 5500kw unit burned about 16 gallons every 24 hours. This doesn't even include the fuel you use for your car or truck. Fill up all your vehicles and get a good siphon. If gas is in really short supply you can siphon fuel from a vehicle.
Natural gas operated generators were a huge hit here. The one that Fred and Dave gave us was a 12,000 kw Generac. You need someone to hook it up to your gas lines, but it never needs refueling. It was also enough to run virtually everything in the house.
If you want to have a shot at air conditioning, get someone to connect "hot boxes" at your air conditioning units. These relatively cheap units, about $30 each, build up the power to fire your compressors. Compressors don't require much power to run, but they require a significant surge to start them. These "hot boxes" take the surge and let you run your central air on generators that otherwise could not start them. While on the subject, if you have a generator, learn how to connect it, and where to put it. A couple of power company people were nearly killed when improperly connected generators fed power up the lines beyond the house being connected. Some people in Texas were killed by Carbon Monoxide from generators placed too closely to their homes.
If you have people with you, get some walkie talkies. Peter and I got a pair for around $60 that had a stated range of 10 miles. While they didn't even come close to that distance they did have enough range to suit our needs. Since we were both on Sprint, we had no cell phones the first couple of days. I reiterate, Cingular never stopped working.
While certainly not a necessity, my wireless card was helpful. Until the system went down, I was able to connect to the internet through the Sprint system. Information is critical and its god to have as many sources of information as possible.
As the storm gets closer, especially if you plan to stick it out or stay nearby, get tarp, duct tape, and things you'll need to patch up your house.
Chainsaws are helpful, whether you stay or return. Most of the roadways were blocked when we returned. Also, if a tree is on your house and you can handle it, getting it off quickly minimizes your water damage.
Stock up on food, particularly canned goods. If you have ice chests with ice, you may want fresh fruit and a few other fresh items. Make sure you have a can opener. Propane burners, like those you use for camping are nice, especially if you don't have a gas range, or if you are one of the unlucky ones who lose gas too. Get matches (waterproof) and/or lighters.
Make sure you have enough prescription medicine to last. If you evacuate take your medicine with you and have enough information so that you can refill your medication if necessary. While the pharmacies opened quickly and were helpful (Target was a good example), they can't hand out medications based on your word.
Put your pictures, papers, and things that can't be replaced in a safe place. Our safe place was my parents' house in another town. Ask people in Cameron, generally no place in a Hurricane area is a safe place.
Bring I.D., Social Security cards, and credit cars. I.D. is necessary if you will be out of town and seek aid or relief.
Get plenty of cash and get it early. ATM's did not work for days and the banks were down initially. When stores opened, or when we went out of town to get fuel, many places couldn't take credit cards. To fill up the SUV and the gas cans for the generator, we would spend at least $200 per trip.
I know a few people who turned off their power mains when they left and were glad for it. One man I spoke to today said that power surges blew out most of his applicances. He also said that his insurance policy had limits of only $1,000 for power surges.
Review your insurance coverages FAST. Some companies allow you to bind coverage or to change coverage until a storm enters the Gulf. This one isn't there yet, so some may still have time.
Check out your trees. Most of the homes that were damaged in this town were damaged or destroyed by trees. I know that many of us are cutting down trees that could damage our homes the next time. At a minimum, you may want to remove limbs that could cause damage.
Eliminate missles. Take down hanging plants, move lawn furniture (or basketball goals), secure anything that could go flying into your home or someone else's home.
Tools are helpful if not critical to have on hand, before, during, and after the storm. Raincoats help too.
If you stay or return soon, I recommend stocking up on a Fix a Flat. I have it in all four of my tires now. Regardless of how careful you may be, you will end up with nails, or other debris in your tires.
I may add more later, but thought that this was a good starting point. You can also find some pretty helpful sites on the internet, like www.ready.gov, www.nhc.noaa.gov, and www.redcross.org. The Red Cross site has good information on securing your home and surroundings. There is a particularly good link there discussing how to secure your roof and garage door.