Now that we are into Hurricane Season, it is time to start thinking of the little things you can do, right now, to prepare in order to avoid the rush and chaos should a hurricane hit the Texas Coast.

While here in the Brazos Valley we do not necessarily have to worry about a storm surge and evacuations, for the most part, our neighbors in Houston and the Texas Coast do.

So should a storm head in our direction, not only are we trying to stock up on supplies and gas, but so is a majority of travelers stranded in traffic on highway six. It’s the little things you can do today in order to save yourself the trouble and hassle tomorrow.

The first place to start, and also the most logical, is the grocery store. That’s usually where we find shoppers packed into and also empty shelves. Some of the items you want to start stocking up on:

--a gallon of water per person per day for three to seven days

--non-perishables such as canned vegetables, canned fruit, tuna, pudding, and even though many of us may hate it, items such as canned meat and spam

--paper towel, paper plates, plasticware

--toiletries such as toilet paper, toothpaste

--at least a week’s worth of prescription medicine if you take it on a daily basis.

Picking up the essentials little by little will go a long way. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. That being said, each time you make a trip out and pick up a few extra items, you can build up a stock pile and be ready in case a storm hits. If that storm hits in a month or as late as November, you’ll be ready and will not have to venture out and try to pick over what supplies may be left.

Best case scenario, the coast may not even be threatened this hurricane season. Should that happen, now you’ll be stocked up and ready to go so that you don’t have to head out to the grocery store during the cold winter months.

For more tips and a check list on what you need to prepare for this hurricane season, pick up the KBTX 2010 Hurricane Tracking Charts at area HEB water displays or Batteries Plus.