The rainy season in Mérida falls between late May and October. Not surprisingly, each year is completely different. You might find one or two tropical storms pass in a season. Additionally, there are several hurricanes that arrive from the Atlantic. Generally, storms or hurricanes make landfall along the east coast of the peninsula between Cancun and Tulum. By the time they reach Mérida, they often lose strength and wind intensity. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on the forecast and being aware of any developments. For this reason, here are 26 Essential Items for a Hurricane Safety Box.
This article was updated in June of 2023.
How to prepare for a hurricane or tropical storm in Mérida?
While there are many ways to prepare for an incoming storm or hurricane, there is one particular thing you can do in advance. In order to be completely ready, make sure you have essential items for a hurricane safety box. Putting together a hurricane safety box with supplies is absolutely imperative for hurricane season in Mérida. Trust us, if you dedicate some time to making sure you have these essentials ready, your mind will be at ease when a hurrican or tropical storm is in the forecast.
We always have our hurricane box ready!
Category: Toiletries & Health for a Hurricane Safety Box
#1 – Personal hygiene: pack at least 1 of whatever you need to maintain personal hygiene. Have bottles of shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, and deodorant, etc. ready in case you have to make a quick exit.
#2 – Face wipes and dry shampoo: a good addition as you might not be sure where you’re heading to or for how long.
#3 – Medication: whether it’s prescription or simple painkillers, store these in waterproof containers. Make sure you have enough to last at least a few days.
#4 – Lady things: for time of the month eventualities. Getting caught during that time of the month is the absolute worst.
#5 – Tissue: both toilet rolls and boxes of tissues.
#6 – First aid kit: in a state of emergency, it is impossible to know whether emergency crews will be able to access you immediately. Having a simple first aid kit on hand could prove to be extremely useful. Particularly if flooding around the city is horrendous and vehicles can’t get to where you are.
Our best advice: in regards to toiletries, think “extra is never enough”.
Once you get through hurricane season, you’ve got a nice supply of toiletries.
Category: Food and Drink for a Hurricane Safety Box
#7 – Basic snack options: cereal bars, biscuits and other simple items. Typically, there’s actually not a lot of food that we put in our hurricane box over the rainy season but a few snacks do help.
#8 – Non-perishable items: these can be tinned goods or other basic things such as chips, popcorn, nuts and grains.
#9 – Bottled water: enough for 3 – 5 days.
#10 – Tupperware: useful for absolutely anything but particularly for collecting or storing food.
Our best advice: also include cutlery, cups, plastic baggies and other disposable items.
Once you get through hurricane season, you’ve got a nice supply of snacks and water.
Category: Items Specific to a Mexican Storm
#11 – Sunscreen: it might be rainy season but the sun will come out again. So, don’t forget this skincare essential!
#12 – Trashbags: not just for trash. They keep things dry or you can use them simply to sit on or cover things. Alternatively, pack towels or trapos, which are small rags commonly used for mopping. These can be used to put on the floor or help keep you dry.
#13 – Mosquito net and spray: increasingly important the further into the rainy season we go. With strong storms and subsequent flooding, mosquitoes breed. You don’t want to be displaced and then find yourself being bitten every moment of the day by the nasty things.
#14 – Cash: power outages may cause problems with card payments. Having cash on hand is always important in Mérida anyway!
Our best advice: have small bills in cash as change may not be available.
Once you get through hurricane season, you’ve got a nice supply of small bills for tipping.
Category: Cleanliness for a Hurricane Safety Box
#15 – Sanitizer: make sure to have plenty of hand gel or sanitizer to keep clean.
#16 – Face mask: wearing a face mask can help inhaling dust or reduce allergies. Don’t forget to pack enough masks for a few days’ use.
#17 – Disinfectant spray: a good idea also in order to maintain cleanliness.
Our best advice: all items included in this section are very necessary for sanitation and cleanliness.
It’s common for electricity to go out which affects water as well. Having a supply of these items is necessary all year.
Category: Other Important Essentials for Hurricane Safety Box
#18 – Reusable bags: use for shopping, trash, keeping items dry or safe.
#19 – Chargers: if you have a spare cable for your phone, laptop or anything else then this definitely should be included. We don’t know about you, but we’re always looking for a charger. Therefore, get ahead and put one in the box in advance.
#20 – Pet food: don’t forget to include enough food and water for your pet.
#21 – Candles and matches: while this might sound old-fashioned, we include these as there are often power outages during a storm.
#22 – Flashlight: because of electricity issues, we recommend a flashlight as well.
#23 – Storm radio: keep up with the latest news of the storm when your phone signal is out. This is something that most people
#23 – Batteries: for a battery powered flashlight and storm radio and anything else. Extra batteries are a good idea.
#24 – Notebook and pen: we always have paper and some kind of writing material. In case you can’t use a phone or you need a way to remember information, you’ll appreciate some old-school writing equipment.
#25 – Sleeping equipment: now, this is up to each individual. We recommend putting in a travel blanket or light sleeping bag plus a pillow. You’ll probably have time to throw your own pillows if leaving the house in a car. However, if you have some kind of foldable mat, travel blanket or travel pillow then put them in the essentials for hurricane safety box in preparation.
#26 – Copies of important documents: you don’t know how long you may be out of your house. Keeping copies of important documents is extremely important. Make sure everything is in water tight wallets or bags.
Our best advice: keep copies of these items in particular
a) passports and/or visa information, b) birth certificates, c) house and/or car documents, d) insurance
Final thoughts on 26 Essential Items for a Hurricane Safety Box
The hurricane box is designed for emergencies, so we haven’t included clothes. In advance, you should know if a hurricane is coming. Then, you can set aside any clothes that you need. The essential items for a hurricane safety box ensures you can make decisions faster and not have to worry about what you need or don’t need.
We also haven’t included any items specific to children or babies. A good idea is to have a separate box that is easily transportable with items specific to their needs such as blankets, diapers and other health items. For young children, you can also include activities such as books, coloring books and puzzles.
If you never have to use your storm box over the season (and we sincerely hope this is the case), come November you’ve got some things ready to use that you don’t have to go to the supermarket for! Stay safe and be prepared for all eventualities!
