09/03/2026
Safe drinking water can become a problem within hours of a hurricane, flood or major infrastructure failure. Most families prepare with bottled water, but a complete plan also needs a safe backup if that supply runs low.
In this episode of HurricaneCenter, Sawyer Products founder and CEO Kurt Avery joins Alex Garcia, Dr. Hal “Hurricane Hal” Needham, Bill Read and Rob Fowler to explain how portable hollow-fiber filters work, how disaster-response teams use them, how to clean and maintain them and why hikers already understand a lesson many households overlook: access to water is not the same as access to safe water.
The conversation also draws an essential safety line. Portable microfilters are designed for specific biological contaminants; they do not desalinate seawater and should never be assumed to remove fuel, pesticides, industrial chemicals, toxins or every virus. During an emergency, follow all instructions from local utilities and public-health officials. If authorities issue a “do not drink” advisory—or chemical contamination is known or suspected—use commercially bottled water or another source officials identify as safe.
In this episode:
Why water service can become unsafe immediately after landfall
Why stored water remains the first layer of preparation
How portable hollow-fiber filters work
The difference between bacteria, protozoa, viruses and dissolved contaminants
How to backwash and maintain a filter
Why saltwater and chemically contaminated water require a different solution
How relief organizations move filtration into disaster zones
The practical water-plan upgrade families can make before the next storm
HurricaneCenter is supported by USAA, the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, LiveU and the Texas Weather Network.
