Here's how to prepare for hurricanes on the Texas Gulf Coast with a basic disaster supplies kit

Following Hurricane Ida's landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, now is the time to prepare for future hurricanes with an emergency kit. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency heavily encourages residents to be prepared before a disaster strikes.

According to www.ready.gov, making an emergency plan should be one of the first steps residents in hurricane-prone areas take to prepare. Everyone in a household should know and understand the hurricane plan.

In a situation such as a hurricane, residents might need supplies in their homes if they cannot leave. Supplies in a hurricane preparedness kit should include basics like food, water and other supplies to last for a few days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of essential items in a household that residents may need in an emergency.

According to www.ready.gov, the following are basic disaster supplies:

• Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)

• Food (at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food)

• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio with tone alert

• Flashlight

• First aid kit

• Extra batteries

• Whistle (to signal for help)

• Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)

• Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)

• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)

• Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)

• Manual can opener (for food)

• Local maps

• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Residents who assemble a hurricane preparedness kit will also need to remember to maintain it by keeping canned food in a cool, dry place and updating the kit every year to fit different families' needs.

For more tips on creating a kit, visit www.ready.gov/kit.