Living in Central Florida about 20 minutes from the gulf coast, I am fully aware of hurricanes but have never experienced the full wrath of one. Hurricane Irma may change that.
It's no mystery that I've bemoaned my living conditions for the past year but when my landlady came knocking on the door and said, "If the storm is coming, get the hell out," it made me wonder exactly how long this would be my home. She pointed to the very large trees surrounding our small neighborhood and shook her head. "These trailers aren't going to hold up."
That made me pause and seriously rethink the idea of staying.
State of Florida superimposed on Hurricane Irma
Screenshot from CBSN news
Projected storm track from NOAA
I lived in New York and experienced the after effects of Hurricane Irene in 2011. By the time Irene reached my neighborhood it was downgraded to a tropical storm but in the 30+ years I lived in the area, I've never seen water breech Route 94.
We were one of the lucky ones. Our house was on the main drag but we had just enough grade to our property that the scope of the damage was 2 inches of water in the back corner of our laundry room and we had to throw out an area rug.
PLANNING AHEAD
I'm not one to panic because that just expends way too much energy. I prefer to assess the situation and plan accordingly. With Irma still a few days away there is time for the storm to shift or lose strength. I'm no hero trying to stick it out in a bad situation. I know my trailer isn't going to survive much of 60 mph wind gusts (if that.) And it's not so much my trailer being blown to bits but the trees that could potentially fall on it. So here are some things I've planned.
If I stay in my home
If and when the electricity goes out I want to be certain of a few things.
WATER
I have one case of bottled water per person.
I've also got four 5-gallon buckets with lids that we purchased from Lowe's.
a. It's 5 gallons of water that can be used for cooking and giving the pets water.
b. It's a back up supply of water in case we run out of bottled water.
c. Once the bucket is empty it can be used to carry valuable items.
d. Worst case scenario, it can be used to shovel debris.
The tub gets filled. This water will be used for flushing toilets.
FOOD
There is enough dry goods in the house to feed 3 people for about 4 days. In case of a disaster, it is enough to get by until relief shows up. This can also be rationed out to last longer if need be.
Canned goods (soup, beans, tuna...)
Pantry items (peanut butter, jelly, crackers...)
Bread
Cold cuts and boiled eggs (which will be consumed first to decrease the chance of spoilage)
Keeping food cold.
An energy-efficient refrigerator will usually keep items cold for a day or two if you can keep the door closed as much as possible. Frozen foods can be pushed up to 2 to 3 days especially if it's full. Keeping a bag of ice in there helps too. Just remember to put it in water tight freezer bags so it doesn't melt all over the place.
Coolers are great for cold food storage and as effective as your refrigerator. When it's empty it's a good place to store valuables and can be doubled as a seat.
COOKING
I have my Coleman grill and a few bottles of propane. I've also got a charcoal grill that can be used for preparing hot meals or boiling water.
If everything is wet it's going to be hard to start a camp fire.
Consider stocking some wood to burn and try to wrap it under a tarp to keep it dry.
Of course if there are significant winds they might be projectiles so consider what you're stockpiling and where to secure it.
MUST HAVES
Manual can opener
Lighters and Matches (helpful unless you know how to make fire by rubbing two sticks together)
Candles (for light)
Lanterns, flashlights, and batteries (if you have them)
Dry clothes (I like to pack light using garbage or contractor bags)
PLAN B
There are certain risks with staying in my house but we've established Plan B.
We've located a local emergency shelter less than a half mile walk from our house.
We've connected with friends who live in sturdier homes on higher ground.
If we're told to evacuate
Here's my attitude: You can replace your stuff but you cannot replace people.
After a few rough years I've lost all my stuff a few times so looking around my house wondering what's critical and what I can stand to lose is not too difficult.
IMPORTANT STUFF: People, pets, computers; critical paperwork, files and drives in a fire and waterproof safe, a small bag of clean clothes and some travel toiletries.
NOT SO IMPORTANT STUFF Everything else.
INFORMATION FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS
Keep these links handy:
Florida Evacuates will help you locate an open shelter. These statuses are handled by the American Red Cross.
Florida Disaster Preparedness Map provides evacuation routes and zone maps.
Florida Special Needs Registry
From their website: "The Florida Division of Emergency Management, in coordination with each local emergency management agency in the state, developed a registry to allow residents with special needs to register with their local emergency management agency to receive assistance during a disaster. The statewide registry provides first responders with valuable information to prepare for disasters or other emergencies."
One last thing... Donations
If you wish to send a donation, consider making it a monetary donation to a legitimate organization. They are boots on the ground and know what the immediate needs of the area and its residents are.
It would be wise for county or community leaders to set up a gift registry for people to send stuff that's actually needed.
DO NOT SEND bulky things or old clothes! If there is a disaster and whole areas are rubble, there is no place to store bulky items. In fact, it might be more hindrance than help.
