Preparing Our Hearts and Homes for Hurricane Season
As spring turns to summer in Virginia, we also enter a season that asks something important of us: hurricane preparedness. Living in Virginia, we know that storms can come quickly and unexpectedly. Some bring only heavy rain; others leave lasting damage. But as people of faith, we prepare not out of fear, but out of wisdom, care, and love for our neighbors.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7 that wise builders prepare before the storm arrives. In that same spirit, here are a few simple, meaningful steps we can take as a church family.
Prepare Your Home and Property
Before storms arrive prepare your home and church property:
- Clear gutters and drains
- Secure outdoor furniture and equipment
- Trim weak or overhanging branches
- Know how to safely operate a generator (and never use one indoors)
These small steps help protect your home and reduce hazards for first responders.
As a Church Family
As churches in your communities, you can help your community, by sharing updates, offer support, spiritual, physical, or emotional support to your neighbors. Check on one another throughout hurricane season. Know who the vulnerable folks are in your congregation and see if they will need assistance. Talk to your church members to see if they know someone who might need assistance — please reach out. We are neighbors, and in Christ, we are family. May God shelter us, strengthen us, and guide us through every storm.
Make a Family Emergency Plan
Talk with the people in your household about:
- Where you will go if evacuation becomes necessary. Know your local community storm shelters or locations that you can meet up at if separated during a storm or disaster.
- How you will communicate if cell service is disrupted. We have become very dependent on technology such as cell service and WiFi. Often times storms can damage cell towers or disrupt power service to areas that can impact WiFi service. know where land lines are located and available.
- Who in your extended family or neighborhood may need extra help. Make sure your household is prepared so after the disaster event, you can check on others around you.
- Create a written plan—kept somewhere visible—that includes names, emergency phone numbers and meet up locations. It can make all the difference when minutes matter. Create a contact card for each member of your household in the event you get separated.
- Make sure pets, and those with special care needs are included in your family’s preparedness plan.
- Know your community’s disaster plan and where to go to locate information
Build or Update Your Emergency Kit
A good hurricane kit includes:
- Bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
- Non-perishable food: grains (crackers, dry bread sticks, pretzels, rice cakes, breakfast cereals, nutrition bars) , canned fruits and veggies and fruit juices. Powder/ shelf stable milk or dairy, canned meats (beans peanut butter, nuts). Quick energy snacks (trail mix, granola, fruit bars, cookies, hard candies, instant coffee, tea bags.)
- Flashlights and extra batteries
- First-aid supplies
- Medications
- Copies of important documents
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Change of dry clothes
If you already have a kit, now is the perfect time to check expiration dates and replace items.
Check on Neighbors—Especially the Vulnerable
Remember the community always owns the storm that creates disasters, In rural communities, the community depends on one another. As a neighbor or as a church ministry in the aftermath of a major storm, A quick phone call or knock on the door can be a lifeline for:
- Older adults
- Those living alone
- Families without transportation
- People with medical needs
Preparedness is not just practical—it’s an act of Christian love.
Pray for Peace, Wisdom, and Protection
As storms approach, we pray:
- For calm hearts
- For the safety of our community
- For first responders and utility workers
- For those who may be displaced or affected
Prayer centers us in God’s presence and reminds us that we never face the storm alone.