No one will ever fully grasp the unpredictable bouts of weather that hit Florida until they come to live there. If you are a student attending the University of Central Florida, chances are you'll get hit with a storm or two while attending school. Some of the most common storms that come annually are severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornados.
Although storms can vary in strength and duration, it never hurts to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If you've just moved into a new UCF apartment and you're inexperienced when it comes to Florida storms, it helps to be extra diligent when storm prepping to avoid getting caught off guard.
Monitor Local Weather and News Forecasts Near UCF Apartments
The internet will be one of the best tools you can use to detect a storm. On a local Orlando news broadcast, you can look at the news weather reports to see if a storm is coming. Even checking once a day for the weather report is a great way to integrate monitoring weather patterns into your routine. An apartment with free WIFI may come in handy here. The weather reports will include wind speeds, storm intensity levels, rainfall, and possible flooding too.
It always helps to prepare early when a storm is coming near your UCF apartment. When people in the area hear of a possible storm, they buy out all the emergency supplies in stores until there's nothing left. You might not be able to prevent the rapid emptying of shelves from stores but you can keep supplies with you all year round so you never have to fight anybody else for supplies again.
Sometimes, you and the people around you might feel that it's best to leave to avoid the storm. Also, if you are in a flood evacuation zone, it might be best to prepare for leaving the area in case of dangerous conditions. If you know that the area you live in is prone to evacuation, filling up your car with a full tank of gas can be useful.
One tip that might help in case of an emergency is to get a large gas can and fill it up at some point in time during the year. If you do it at the time of the storm, it will contribute to a gas shortage for people that might need gas for their vehicles too. Instead, having it stored in your UCF apartment can allow it to be accessible whenever you need to fill it for a storm.
Another thing to consider is traffic conditions. In Orlando, the Florida Turnpike can get packed with cars even on days when there's not a storm. Taking alternate routes might be trickier and take more gas, but if you have a gas tank with extra gas, you can avoid running out of gas and save time to get to a safer destination.
Stock up on Food and Water Ahead of Time
If you decide to stay at your apartment near UCF during a storm, it's best to make sure you have all the necessary supplies in case the power goes out and you can't go outside for multiple hours. Things like canned and pre-cooked proteins, gallon jugs of water, jerky, chips, and dried nuts and fruit are all great things to keep in a stockpile if you need protein and nutrients for multiple days without power or transportation to a nearby store.
Some important non-edible items you can keep around include batteries, flashlights, candles, lighters, emergency first aid supplies, blankets, portable device chargers, and a sharp blade for cutting fabric and other hard materials.
Board Up Your UCF Apartment Windows
With harsh wind and rain, it's possible that being near windows is a safety hazard. Shattered glass and shrapnel from windows and screen glass can seriously injure someone if they aren't careful. If you live in an apartment with a patio or balcony, you are at high risk for injuries from shattered glass.
The best way to avoid injury is to board up your windows with wood or place blankets and other furniture in front of it that can block the wind from blowing glass right into the common living space.