You are ahead of the game as a do it yourself guy or gal, because you have many of the necessary skills to prepare for a community weather or environmental emergency. It is impossible to know precisely when a hurricane, tornado, fire, or earthquake will occur. However, being prepared is something you can do any time. Being generally knowledgeable and with good information coverage in your head about the subject is also a good idea.

The home improvement store will be your best friend getting started, because your home will require many supplies. These can include:

- A generator

- Flashlights

- Batteries

- Camping lanterns

- Flood clean-up supplies like buckets and mops

- Extension cords

While a tornado is an acute weather event without substantial warning ahead of time, these days hurricanes can be forecast by meteorologists. If you live in a hurricane zone in the United States or nearby islands, here are some preparation measures you can take in advance, according to the federal management agency responsible for emergency assistance (FEMA). Before the storm arrives, you should:

- Make sure that you have switched the knob on your outdoor propane storage tank to the off position.

- Purchase a back up emergency power supply generator. Orienting yourself to know how to use it, would seem like a smart thing to do, also.

- Bring in any of your outdoor leisure devices like chairs, planters, wheelbarrows, and hoses. The concern is that in high winds, these things can all become projectiles to some degree, and dangerous projectiles at that.

- Regularly have your landscape vegetation cut back and away from your abode. This is particularly true, you know, for palm trees and the dry older leaves can again become dangerous arrows flying through the sky, which could harm anyone foolish enough to be outdoors in a category hurricane. This is the kind of thing you need to do all year round, not in the half hour before the storm hits shore.

- Follow directions from emergency agencies about turning off your power and utilities in the house. Pay particular attention to the refrigerator and freezer and make sure the doors are closed tight.

- Boarding up windows and openings (or using hurricane shutters and closing them) is likely your largest assignment and biggest task time wise. Well ahead of storm season, make sure you have plywood on hand and have a plan for installing it over windows. Make sure in advance that your boards are sized to your windows.

- If you do not own a chainsaw, buy a new one (if they are not sold out), and get it ready to use in case trees and branches fall down or are blown into your yard.

- Garage car doors can fly open if not secured, so make sure you have one that is strong and that is fortified appropriately with support.

Besides these physical measures, make sure you have fresh water available, as well as food to eat. You should have things which do not require cooking. Bug spray, trash bags, and other miscellaneous items are also a good idea, in the event that conditions after the storm blows through are rustic. Once you have done all of these things, you have put safety and luck on your side, just as sure as red is a lucky color.