Local residents preparing for future tropical storms, hurricanes

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — With the tropics heating up, it’s time to make sure you’re ready.

With continued team coverage this weekend I’m taking a closer look at how some locals are protecting their backyards

I caught up with locals Romeo and Carmen Fernandez. They have a full-blown garden in their backyard but with Tropical Storm Ian on the way, they’re taking steps to protect their plants.

“Usually, we put a stick in them, tie them up, especially for the weak ones but most of them are strong so we leave them as is,” says Carmen.

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Carmen says inserting a stick serves as an extra backbone to the stems of her plants.

“The stick makes them strong and healthy. They battle any sort of wind, rain, storm and thunder,” says Romeo.

Romeo and Carmen want to keep their plants safe during Tropical Storm Ian because they grow so much produce.

“Leafy vegetables, okra, papayas and bananas,” says Carmen.

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Doing this saves them a lot of money as they prepare to buy other hurricane necessities like batteries, flashlights and non-perishable food items.

I spoke with Action News Jax First Alert Meteorologist Marithza Ross for more tips.

I said, “Well, the weather here in Jacksonville has been pretty quiet but things are about to get a little louder now that Tropical Storm Ian is beginning to take off. Marithza, residents at home want to know how to prepare, do you have any tips for us?

“Before the tropics really start to heat up for the state of Florida, we have a very nice weekend in store. Now is the time to clean out those gutters, get the outside of your house prepared and get your hurricane-preparedness kit ready. Also, be sure to follow the Action News Jax First Alert Weather Team with all the latest updates.”

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Here’s a list of some of the items that should be in your hurricane preparedness kit as Marithza mentioned.

-water, food, battery, flashlight, towels, trash bag, local map, wrench

Romeo and Carmen are now focusing on the inside of their home. They’ve already stocked up on bottled water and batteries.

“Food? We have plenty of food, we have steak, pineapple in the freezer, chicken, fish, canned food, I like bananas and oatmeal,” says Romeo.

“Now in case the power goes out you can’t cook your steak and fish. Oh, we got propane, we’re ready for the storm,” says Romeo.

For more information on how you can prepare for Tropical Storm Ian, click here.

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