ORLANDO, Fla. — Hurricane season is underway — it started June 1 and runs through November 30.

If you haven't prepared your hurricane kit, now is the time to do so. I put mine together with the help of Publix and found out that it can easily be done without breaking the bank.

When I moved here a week before Hurricane Irma in 2017, I had to rush to buy what I needed and learned quickly how to prepare. Water was the big thing.

The rule of thumb is one gallon of water per person, per day for seven days. I found gallons of water for $0.86, and that seemed to be the regular price at Publix. I've paid that before.

Flavored drinks are also a good idea — something that won't go bad if the power goes out. I found 12-can cases of sparkling flavored water for $4.99 each.

As I traveled through the Winter Park Village Publix, I followed the list of essentials that worked for me — batteries, sunscreen in case I'm outside cleaning up, soup, and snacks.

Another thing I did when I was getting ready for Irma was buy a bunch of tuna pouches. They come in different flavors with a pretty long shelf life, plus they make a really good meal. I found them for $1.44 each.

Anything disposable is great, like paper plates, napkins, and plastic ware. If you have pets, don't forget their food too.

I also bought an $11 plastic bin to hold my supplies.

Outside of a few, small things that I'll get another time, my total was $132.13.

Keep in mind, this is what I bought for me. You may spend a more, but I found that buying store brand items can really save you some money.

If you visit mynews13.com/hurricane, you'll see everything you need for storm season 2019, it'll include a checklist of supplies.

If you know of a "life hack" or a tip/trick that helps make your life in Central Florida easier and want to share it, head to www.mynews13.com/insider and let us know by filling out the form.

 

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