Canned food is the only kind acceptable for an event such as a hurricane; again, check the expiration dates to make sure the food is fresh. Always have these supplies on hand so that you can respond whenever an emergency arises.  Try getting canned food that doesn't require any added water or milk, such as Progresso. Fill up the bathtub with water if you decide to stay home. An average bathtub full of water holds enough water for about three days. It also makes it possible to flush the toilet using a bucket. There is a lot of water in the hot water heater of your home. An average 150-liter water heater has enough water to keep a single person alive for a month. See here for details. An average person needs about 3.5 l of water (one gallon) per day. Pets (dogs) need about 1.75L of water per day. Cats need much less water. Do this as the storm enters your area and you settle down for the long haul. Eat perishables first in anticipation of the power going out. Fill your fridge and freezer with bottled water and sealed non-perishable items. The more full your freezer is, the more items there are to retain the cold and keep the overall temperature down. The same applies to the refrigerator.  Store as much water and fluids as you can in your fridge so that if the power goes out, it will retain the cold longer; hopefully in time for the power to turn back on. Put all the ice that you have in your freezer into plastic bags. Fill all spaces in your freezer with bags of ice. Freeze water bottles, too. See How to keep foods frozen during a power failure for more details. Be sure that you are well supplied with any prescription drugs that you or your family takes on a regular basis. Some insurers will not honor refills until the last refill is nearly used up or has run out.  If necessary, drugs must be purchased without insurance; weeks may go by without the ability to get refills, putting your health at risk. If you’re in hurricane season, always have extra medication just case a storm comes in and all the pharmacies close down. Have the supplies to make it through if you and your family are trapped in your house for a week without access to electricity, running water, and stores. These materials include things such as light sources (powered by battery or hand crank), a manual can opener, a first aid kit, a NOAA-compatible radio, and hygiene products. Print out a medical aid guide like this so that you know how to administer proper care if the situation arises: http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m55540601_FA-CPR-AED-Part-Manual.pdf. Many supplies in the disaster kit can be taken if you choose to evacuate by car. There will need to be smaller portions of food and water because of the lack of space in the transport. But there are some extra things you’ll need if you drive away from the storm.  Flares Physical maps Jumper cables Extra cans of gas This is to ensure the supplies you’ve stocked in case of emergency are both well stocked and fresh. You don’t want to find yourself faced with an emergency and figure out that you’re not prepared to face it. Keeping a checklist that has all the items categorized and dated helps with this process.  Inflate airbeds to ensure they don't need patching or replacing. Use a battery tester so you know all your stored batteries still have a full charge.

Summary: Buy enough food and water to last a few days. Prepare your fridge and freezer. Have your prescription medication. Make sure that you have the necessities. Take your supplies with you. Check your disaster kit every few months.


The water does not need to be steaming hot, but it should be more than simply lukewarm.  A thorough, wet wash should be performed every few months or after a wide area of the floor has gotten muddy or notably dirty. Hot water is often considered one of the best ways to clean laminate flooring because, when done correctly, it will not leave streaks. It is also the least likely to damage the protective coating of the laminate, since water is the mildest cleanser possible.

Summary: Fill a bucket with hot water.


This might include crying, whining, or pouting. You might be able to get what you want by making people feel badly about themselves, but this isn’t healthy behavior. If you continue to behave this way, the person will likely pull away from you over time.  Any time you’re trying to control someone’s feelings, you’re being manipulative. For example, you might say something like, “If you really love me, you’ll stay home with me tonight,” “My friends can’t believe you treat me this way,” or “I hate it when we work together because I have to do more than my share.” The purpose of these statements is to get the other person to do something for you. This includes trying to change the meaning of something you said or deliberately misinterpreting what someone else said. You might also hide information in an effort to get what you want.  For example, you might have said, “I’m going to stay in tonight.” Later, you might tell the person you’re manipulating, “I meant that I wanted us to hang out at home tonight.” Similarly, your coworker may have told you her part of a shared project will be late because the client rescheduled a meeting. You might manipulate your boss into seeing you more favorably by saying, "I finished my assignment 3 days ago, but I'm chasing her around to get her to finish the report. I might just have to do it myself." It’s easy to manipulate someone by withholding something they want, such as sex, money, assistance, or love. This can also include withdrawing from them or refusing to talk to them.  You might maintain control temporarily by withholding something from someone, but they’ll eventually pull away from you. For example, you might say something like, “Don’t contact me until you’re ready to apologize,” or “I’m not helping with the housework again unless you admit you were wrong.” It might be hard for you to accept responsibility for your feelings or actions. This might make you reframe situations to make others seem responsible. You might even spread gossip about them so others take your side. For instance, let’s say you missed a doctor’s appointment because you overslept. Instead of accepting that it was your fault because you missed your alarm, you might blame your partner for keeping you up too late or not waking you up. If they take on the blame, you don’t have to feel bad about your mistake. This means dropping hints or suggestions about what you want instead of just telling someone directly. This is an unhealthy way of trying to get what you want and may cause a conflict.  As an example, you may say, “I don’t think I have anything going on Saturday night,” instead of telling your friend you want to go see a movie with them. As another example, let's say you're unhappy that some of your coworkers went out to lunch without you. A healthy way to handle this would be to talk to them directly to tell them that you're interested in going next time. However, you might attempt to manipulate the situation instead by gossiping about the person who organized the lunch or trying to get them in trouble for something unrelated. You might manipulate your friends, relatives, and coworkers to make them like you better than everyone else. This often involves spreading gossip and driving a wedge between others so that they each turn to you for support and friendship. However, this is unhealthy behavior that is unfair to them.  While this can work temporarily, it’s likely people will eventually catch on. When this happens, you might lose your friends. It’s better to be honest with people. For instance, you might become your parents' favorite by telling them nice things and pretending to always act perfectly while also telling them every time your siblings act up and making up stories to make your siblings look bad. Similarly, you might get everyone to exclude a coworker you don't like by telling everyone that they spread rumors even though you're the one who is actually gossiping.
Summary: Notice if you make someone feel guilty or shameful to get your way. Watch for lying or twisting the truth. Notice if you’ve been withholding something to get your way. Consider if you might be blaming others for something you did. Notice if you’re often vague about what you really want. Recognize if you tend to create drama between people for your benefit.