Here I am today to bring you an episode titled MMK on Hurricane Prep. I consider myself semi qualified having endured two official hurricanes during my residence in Florida (Irma, 2017 and Ian, 2022) and innumerable hurricane scares and tropical storms. So here it is.
Let me put this caveat out there first of all….i live 10 minutes inland and my current house has been proven hurricane proof in Ian. Of course each hurricane is different but I prepare based on what I know.
When it is clear that a hurricane is imminent…and not being a weather watcher I usually find out once my colleagues start discussing it…and once the county starts to cancel school and businesses start to close, I begin my hurricane mode prepping. Here is how I do it:
I make sure my car is gassed because sometimes after a hurricane it is really hard to find available gas. Today my car was half full and I figured that was good enough since I plan to shelter in place because I have pet’s and also believe we have a high likelihood of being unaffected. Still…
I just shopped so we have plenty of food, both perishable and non perishable. But I made dinner and sometimes I will bake or cook extra so we can have home cooked rather than boxed food. Tonight I made tacos. When prepping you have to balance because you don’t want to have too many perishables on hand.
This brings me to addressing what the potential dangers are. I consider the likelihoods damage to property, loss of power and loss of connectivity.
I addressed the potential damage to property by moving some things around in my garage to fit my SUV in since I typically park in the drive.
You should also bring in any furniture on your lanai. I only have two light chairs so I left these.
Last time we lost connectivity but not power. So it is a good idea to download anything you need. For example I downloaded documents I needed so I’d be able to work offline. This gives you something to do also.
As far as power, there is much more to consider. If you have a propane grill as I do you will be able to warm your food regardless.
I make extra coffee in my electric pot so I can heat it on the grill or drink it cold.
It’s also a good idea to do your laundry, run your dishwasher and blow dry your hair while the power is on.
It’s a good idea to have paper products on hand. If you can’t wash your dishes it’s easier to use paper plates and bowls.
I fill my cooler with some ice so I can put drinks or fridge or freezer items in.
Stick up on your vices. Mine is wine so I make sure I have some on hand.
You should also make sure all your devices and battery packs are fully charged.
Make sure your furry friends have food and give your pup a nice walk before.
Have your raincoat and boots handy.
Finally you should fill the bathtub. I haven’t needed it but this way you can use that water to flush your toilets.
As far as water goes I have a Berkey filter I use daily so we always have a fresh source. Sometimes you have a boil water notice after a hurricane but a good filter will be as good I believe.
We also regularly keep a well stocked apothecary with all kinds of remedies.
Basically preparing for a hurricane is not all that different from preparing for any natural disaster except that you have a bit more notice.
Other add-ons are to keep your important documents handy in a waterproof container and if you are concerned about protection to keep personal safety provisions on hand. Looting is a reality.
Watch the tv while you can!
Stay dry friends and good luck! Hope my practical tips helped.💦
Notes From Real Life 