Tips to Prepare for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is barreling toward New Hampshire, and regardless of whether it will be a devastating natural disaster or an overhyped rainstorm, there are some simple measures you can take to make sure you're not caught unprepared this weekend. 

1. Keep Essentials Nearby: Make sure you have plenty of non-perishable food, water, batteries, flashlights and power-free fun just in case you get stuck inside without power for a couple of days. 

There probably isn't a need to stockpile a bunker like it's the apocalypse, but having some extra supplies around the house is never a bad idea.

2. Use Common Sense: Don't go around roadblocks, and definitely don't put a generator in a room where you're sleeping or spending long periods of time.

Generators give off carbon monoxide, so if you have a generator and plan on swinging by a store to grab some supplies today, toss a carbon monoxide detector into your cart so you won't have any issues with the toxic gas.

3. Take Flooding Precautions: It's time to get that photo album, collection of obscure '40s magazines and other belongings not so friendly with water off the floor.

Fire officials recommended putting any items you don't want to get wet on a high shelf, or at least covering the belongings and boxes with a sealed, waterproof material.

4. Head to Shore: Many Bedford residents have beach homes or lake houses, but you definitely don't want to be in the water Sunday, let alone be near the beach.

Weather conditions could create some unsafe situations near the coastline, so it might be a smart idea to seal your cottages and stay inland to avoid possible injury or getting stuck in a complete washout.

5. Pull Out: If you can, be sure to pull your boats and other toys out of the water before Sunday to avoid damaging your vessel, your neighbor's, surrounding docks, houses and other structures.

If you can't remove the boat from the water, Hampton River Marina employee Keith Blinn recommended using extra tie-downs while remembering to leave enough slack to account for larger waves and wind.

What are you doing to prepare? Be sure to tell us and share other tips with us on Facebook and Twitter by marking your comments with #HurricanePatch.

Also, safely grab those cameras and take some shots of this weekend's weather for our . E-mail your pictures to Ryan.OConnor@Patch.com.

Some information above was taken from interviews with area safety officials.

For weather predictions and additional tips, check out the National Weather Service website and be sure to monitor this site and the official Bedford websites for other important information.

Related Topics: How to survive a hurricane, Hurricane Irene, hurricane tips, and what to do during a hurricane