As the calendar turns to April, here in NW Florida we start thinking of hurricane season which is just around the corner. People like to talk about SHTF and Loss of Civility but this is Florida, we get a hurricane somewhere every year so being prepared isn’t just a catchphrase, for many it’s a way of life.
My first hurricane here was Ivan and I was prepared in some ways but not others. I had camping equipment so we could cook and I had a generator so we could run the fridge and other items. What I didn’t have was a good idea of how to deal with the aftermath of a severe hurricane that would leave my house without power for 3 weeks.
Gas lines, the finicky eater in the family eating MREs, the gamer unable to play video games, and who really has a plan for 3 weeks’ worth of laundry?!! Survive we did though because we had the most important thing needed, flexibility. My wife was from Puerto Rico and survived hurricanes in an apartment complex where teamwork and flexibility were required for survival. Combined with my Navy experience, we both had that most important skill set.
Hurricane Georges, Puerto Rico 1998.
Being prepared for a hurricane also involves having things like toilet paper, safe drinking water, non-perishable food, a generator with plenty of fuel, medicines etc. Actually, FEMA has a great list here.
Having all the items on your preparedness list is great but the more people in your family the more you need a plan. FEMA can help with that too.
Next, be realistic with yourself and where you are when it comes time to think about evacuating. Are you in a flood plane, are you on the side of the hurricane where tornadoes will be prevalent, how strong and/or large is the hurricane? Ivan caused so much devastation in part because it was over 12 hours of pounding rain and wind, and it was a strong class 3 hurricane.
After Ivan, 30 Miles Inland.
After the hurricane comes clean up, long lines, no power etc, remember these days FEMA preaches “The First 72 Are on You”. So if you are coming back into your home or getting outside to look around after the rain stops be ready. Flip Flops and pajamas are NOT the best items of clothing to wear during hurricane clean-up and yes I’ve seen it done. The devastation can be enormous, and bad for bare feet.
When working outside you’ll need more water than normal, especially since you won’t have AC to cool you down so plan on it. More if you’re out of shape.
I learned that people drive by your house slowly and look at you while you’re doing clean-up, many will stop and ask if you need help like the Pastor from the local church who stopped by every house on the road where there were people.
I learned my instincts at spotting predators were still good because other people drive by slowly and don’t stop, they just looked at me, my house, and my family. Hard.
Which brings me to another tool on my personal preparedness list, my AK rifle. After the second time they went by I brought it out, the third time they drove by I picked it up and went out towards the road and nodded towards them. They sped off and never came back. As I told my wife, not in our neighborhood, not on my watch. I gave the police a description, and I wasn’t the first to report them, looters are a common problem after hurricanes.
Last but not least, debrief. If only for your own benefit and use, do a walk through to see what worked and didn’t and anything new you did that you can improve on and then update your list and/or plan.
Remember 2019/2020 and the great toilet paper scare? Wasn’t a big problem for us, because we had hurricane supplies so we had time and a plan to find TP and everyone was a part of the plan. Now we have more on hand and we still have a plan. I also have solar panels and a whole house propane generator that hasn’t been used for a hurricane yet but has been used numerous times for storm outages and power line work.
I’ve learned, changed, and improved so that every year I try to be a little more self-sufficient. But I always remember, you can’t mess with Mother Nature. Because of that, I’ve got the first 72 and more.
Garfield out.
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