The Atlantic Was Quiet. Now We're Watching the Tropics Again.

For much of this hurricane season, the Atlantic has been relatively quiet.

And that's exactly when complacency can set in.

Weeks can pass without a major hurricane threatening the United States or Caribbean. The emergency supplies get pushed to the back of the closet. Hurricane forecasts stop getting as much attention. It starts to feel like maybe this season simply won't amount to much.

But we're now entering the time of year when that thinking can become dangerous.

The heart of Atlantic hurricane season is still ahead.

Historically, Atlantic tropical activity rises sharply from mid-August into September, with the climatological peak occurring around September 10.

So if the quiet start to hurricane season has caused you to put preparedness on the back burner, now is the time to reconsider.

Because the best time to prepare isn't when a hurricane is three days away.

It's when the storm is still thousands of miles away—or doesn't exist yet.

A Quiet Start Doesn't Mean a Quiet Finish

One of the easiest mistakes to make during hurricane season is assuming that what happened in June and July tells us what will happen in September.

It doesn't.

According to NOAA hurricane climatology, the vast majority of Atlantic tropical cyclone activity occurs during August, September, and October.

Historically:

• 78% of Atlantic tropical-storm days occur from August through October
• 87% of minor-hurricane days occur during those months
• 96% of major-hurricane days occur during that period

The climatological peak of Atlantic hurricane season is approximately September 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October.

In other words:

We're not approaching the end of hurricane season. We're approaching its historical peak.

Even a Below-Normal Hurricane Season Can Produce a Serious Hurricane

This is especially important in a year when the overall seasonal forecast is quieter than normal.

A below-normal hurricane season sounds reassuring.

But seasonal forecasts describe the overall activity across the entire Atlantic basin.

They don't tell you whether one particular storm will affect your home.

That's an important distinction.

It doesn't matter whether hurricane season produces 5 storms or 25.

If one hurricane affects your community, it's your hurricane season.

One storm can cause prolonged power outages, flooding, damaged infrastructure, closed stores, boil-water advisories, and interruptions to municipal water service.

Your family doesn't prepare for the season's total storm count.

You prepare for the storm that could affect you.

The Tropics Are Starting to Get Our Attention Again

As we move deeper into late August, tropical waves moving off Africa become increasingly important to watch.

Some will disappear.

Some will develop briefly and remain over open water.

Others can organize and travel westward across the tropical Atlantic.

At this stage, a disturbance thousands of miles away is not a reason to panic.

It's a reason to pay attention.

And there's an enormous difference between the two.

You don't need to rush to the grocery store every time the National Hurricane Center highlights an area of disturbed weather.

What you should do is use this period to ask yourself:

If a hurricane were headed toward me next week, would I already have what I need?

If the answer is no, that's your signal to prepare.

Prepare While the Storm Is Still Thousands of Miles Away

This may be the single most important hurricane-preparedness lesson I've learned in more than two decades of emergency water storage.

Distance is your friend.

When a tropical disturbance is thousands of miles away, you have time.

The grocery stores are still stocked.

Gas stations aren't crowded.

Batteries are available.

Generators haven't disappeared.

Shipping networks are operating normally.

And bottled water is still sitting on pallets instead of disappearing from shelves.

Then the forecast changes.

The system becomes a tropical depression.

Then a tropical storm.

A forecast cone appears.

Suddenly millions of people begin preparing at exactly the same time.

That's when preparation becomes reaction.

Don't Wait for the Forecast Cone

The hurricane forecast cone is extremely useful for understanding where the center of a tropical cyclone may travel.

It shouldn't be your signal to finally begin preparing.

By the time your community appears inside a hurricane forecast cone, thousands—or potentially millions—of other households may be thinking exactly the same thing:

“We need water.”

That's when you start seeing familiar scenes.

Shopping carts filled with bottled water.

Empty shelves.

Long checkout lines.

Generators selling out.

Delivery dates getting pushed beyond the storm's arrival.

The best hurricane-preparedness strategy is surprisingly simple:

Buy the things you need before everyone else needs them.

Water Should Be One of Your First Hurricane Priorities

People understandably focus on wind when a hurricane approaches.

But what happens after the storm can be just as disruptive.

Hurricanes can affect water supplies through:

• Power failures at pumping and treatment facilities
• Water main breaks
• Flooding
• Loss of water pressure
• Infrastructure damage
• Contamination concerns
• Boil-water advisories

You can have a house with little or no wind damage and still find yourself without dependable drinking water.

That's why emergency water storage deserves a place near the top of your hurricane preparedness checklist.

How Much Emergency Water Does Your Family Need?

A common starting recommendation for emergency planning is approximately one gallon of water per person per day for several days.

For a family of four:

3 days = approximately 12 gallons

7 days = approximately 28 gallons

And that's before considering whether you'll need additional water for pets or other household needs.

Water isn't only for drinking.

During an extended outage you may need it for:

• Drinking
• Cooking
• Preparing food
• Washing hands
• Brushing teeth
• Basic hygiene
• Taking medications
• Caring for pets

Those gallons disappear faster than most people expect.

Why Bottled Water Alone May Not Be Enough

Bottled water is an excellent component of an emergency plan, particularly because it's portable if you need to evacuate.

But large quantities of bottled water have some practical disadvantages.

Water is heavy.

A gallon weighs more than eight pounds.

Sixty-five gallons of water weighs well over 500 pounds.

Buying, transporting, and permanently storing that much bottled water isn't practical for many households.

But your home may already contain a space capable of supporting a large quantity of water:

Your bathtub.

Turn Your Bathtub Into Emergency Water Storage

A bathtub itself isn't designed to be a drinking-water storage container.

Even a clean-looking tub may contain residue from soap, cleaning products, body oils, bacteria, and contaminants around the drain and overflow.

AquaPodKit® approaches the problem differently.

Instead of using the bathtub as your water container, AquaPodKit uses the bathtub to support a food-grade water storage liner.

Place the AquaPodKit inside the bathtub and fill it with clean household water before your municipal water supply becomes interrupted or compromised.

Depending on the bathtub and setup, AquaPodKit can store up to approximately 65 gallons of emergency water.

That's roughly equivalent to:

520 standard 16-ounce bottles of water.

And unlike permanently storing a 65-gallon rigid tank, AquaPodKit can remain compactly stored with your hurricane supplies until you actually need it.

Don't Fill Your Emergency Water Storage Too Late

Having an emergency water bladder is only useful if you fill it at the right time.

AquaPodKit is a water storage system.

It isn't designed to turn contaminated water into safe drinking water.

That's why you should fill emergency drinking-water containers while your household water supply is still considered safe.

If local authorities announce that the municipal water supply may already be compromised, follow their instructions.

Don't assume that filling a water container after a contamination warning solves the problem.

The goal is to get ahead of the emergency.

The Quiet Days Are the Best Days to Prepare

There's something almost backwards about emergency preparedness.

When nothing is happening, preparing can feel unnecessary.

When something finally happens, preparing suddenly feels urgent.

But that's exactly why the quiet days matter.

Today, you may have:

No hurricane warning.

No evacuation order.

No empty water aisle.

No lines at the gas station.

That's not a reason to wait.

That's the advantage.

Use it.

What Should You Do Right Now?

You don't need to panic because the tropics are becoming more active.

Instead, use the changing season as a reminder to check your hurricane supplies.

Make sure you have:

• Emergency drinking water
• A way to store additional water
• Nonperishable food
• Prescription medications
• First-aid supplies
• Flashlights
• Extra batteries
• Battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio
• Portable phone chargers
• Important documents
• Pet food and supplies
• An evacuation plan
• AquaPodKit or another appropriate emergency water storage system

Then put everything somewhere you can actually find it.

Preparedness supplies don't help much when they're scattered throughout the garage, attic, and closets.

Don't Confuse “Quiet” With “Over”

Hurricane season runs through November 30.

Historically, we're entering its most active portion—not leaving it.

Maybe this year remains relatively quiet.

Hopefully it does.

Maybe the tropical waves we're watching stay over open water.

Hopefully they do.

Preparing doesn't mean you're predicting disaster.

It means you understand that you don't need a disaster to happen for preparedness to have been worthwhile.

If you prepare for a hurricane and it misses your community, that's a good outcome.

Your supplies are still there.

Your AquaPodKit remains ready.

And you're better prepared for the next storm, water main break, winter freeze, or unexpected water outage.

One Storm Is All It Takes

The total number of storms in a hurricane season isn't what ultimately matters to your family.

Your risk changes dramatically if just one storm comes your way.

That's why I don't believe families should judge their preparedness by whether the Atlantic looks busy today.

Watch the tropics.

Follow official forecasts.

But prepare before the forecast becomes urgent.

Because when the storm is thousands of miles away, you still have something incredibly valuable:

Time.

Don't waste it.

Prepare Your Water Supply Before Everyone Else Does

AquaPodKit® gives you the ability to turn your bathtub into a large-capacity emergency water reserve when a hurricane, water outage, winter storm, or other emergency threatens.

Keep it compactly stored with your emergency supplies.

Then, when conditions warrant and your municipal water supply is still safe, place it inside your bathtub and fill it.

Why Keep AquaPodKit Ready?

✓ Stores up to approximately 65 gallons

✓ Food-grade LLDPE

✓ Virgin resin

✓ FDA food-contact compliant materials

✓ HACCP-controlled manufacturing practices

✓ Made in the USA

✓ Compact storage until you need it

✓ Manual hand pump included

Don't wait until your community appears inside the forecast cone.

Get your AquaPodKit® now, keep it with your hurricane supplies, and be ready to store emergency water while clean water is still flowing.

SHOP AQUAPODKIT® → AquaPodKit.com

The Atlantic may be quiet today. Preparedness means being ready for tomorrow.