Hurricane Preparations: What You May Not Think Of - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

A lot of people may not be taking Hurricane Sandy seriously just yet, especially because Friday turned out to be a beautiful weather day.

But some residents in Lewes, Delaware, who lived through Hurricane Irene and the tornado it spawned last year have some great advice for the rest of us.

"The tornado came across that woods, went on down and struck that house," Tom Rutherford explained to FOX 29.  It just barely missed Rutherford's house in Lewes.  The house it hit a block away sustained significant damage.  The twister also did serious damage to the Wyshock family's house around the corner.  "When you hear about a hurricane, you definitely don't take it lightly anymore," Gretchen Wyshock insisted.

Debris came crashing through the Wyshock's bedroom window, raining shattered glass on the bed where the young family had huddled during the hurricane.  "We were not prepared for the tornado," Wyshock said.  "If anything, my mistake was not keeping that television on because we had a movie on for the children, we were putting them down for bed, is when the tornado hit us."

Tom Rutherford won't take that chance-- his weather radio will alert him if there's a tornado warning.  And he will be listening closely.  "It's on 24 hours a day," Rutherford said.  "It's self-contained with batteries plus 110 volts."

Rutherford knows how dangerous a storm can become, and Hurricane Sandy concerns him.  "I've been here, was born here, I've never seen a Northeaster and a hurricane at the same time," Rutherford said.  "I've never seen that.  It scares you."

That's why made sure he's stocked his shelves with plenty of drinking water.  And he has not one, but two generators if he loses electricity.  He also picked up extra gas, all good common-sense measures. But hurricane veterans know you also need to prepare mentally.  "You do need to think about, what do I do in the event that the electric goes down, or a tree comes crashing through my house," Patty Marvel said.  "Where am I going to take my children to be safe?  What am I going to do with my pets?  Do I have enough food?"

Marvel also had one other piece of good advice:  call a reputable contractor now, before the storm, and make sure he or she is available after the storm, in case your home sustains any hurricane damage.