Conn. (WTNH) — We oftentimes think about preparing for a big storm when a big storm is imminent. But the point about being able to get ready early is being able to get ready well before a storm even moves in. So what should you do?

“We weren’t convinced that the house would be there. We knew that Irene had devastated this area so we were afraid we would be in the same boat,” Patrick Rowland told News 8. “But the idea that at three or four o’clock in the morning the house would be gone and we’d wake up in Kansas on top of the witch of the west was something that was not going to fly.”

He knows all too well the power of a hurricane.

His house was a total loss after Hurricane Sandy, as were many others after back-to-back hurricanes here in Connecticut in 2011 and 2012. Rowland was smart, he had a plan, and he got out before it was too late.

But before the next storm comes, are you prepared just in case? We asked the experts at the Quinnipiac Valley Health District for the scoop.

“So think about not having that technology, what would you do in that event? And go from there,” QVHD said.

First off, assume you have no phone and no power. Now what do you do?

“So it’s really important to have a plan and talk it through with your family, your loved ones, your neighbors. Really make it a community conversation,” they added.

That plan includes an evacuation plan, a list of numbers to call, and a lot more.

“For example, if you need to turn off the utilities in your home, do you know how to do that, does everyone else in your house know how to do that?… Whenever there’s an emergency our stress level is definitely heightened, so what we can do to reduce that in advance is to be prepared.”

So the next step, gather supplies well in advance of an incoming storm.

“The first one would be water for drinking and sanitation reasons, the second one would be a food supply, the third one would be a means to stay informed like a radio, having a way to get lighting, and having medications that you need and making sure you have those on sight, as well.”

And the key is to do all of this weeks or months before a storm even arrives.