You already do store 30 or 40 gal of water in your water heater, Unless you have a demand water heater then you only have about 2 to 5-gal in it. You need to flush it out every so often to clear out the sediments that gather in the bottom of the tank. And I would also run that water through a water filter before drinking it. But it gives you a source of some water.


Are most homes in Florida slab homes with the water tank mounted up higher then the first floor? If so it may be easier to get the water out of the tank. I don’t know on this as there are very few slab homes in this area and I don’t know exactly how you do it there.