Some Lessons Learned From Hurricane Irma
It’s easy to see that we’re in hurricane season because of the flurry of activity on the part of our local power company as well as tree trimming services.
Trees everywhere are being trimmed, especially those near power lines. And, along A1A FPL (Florida Power & Light) has been working on the lines there! Asplundh trucks are everywhere!
Years ago, I quit counting the number of hurricanes I’d been in (including one in the Bahamas), but each time even though I feel better prepared than most, there are always a few things I make a note of for the next hurricane.
For example…
1. If you have a house generator, besides knowing how to use it, make sure you understand what is and isn’t on the power grid.
While we were extremely grateful for our friend’s house during the storm (he and his family were out of town) the house generator had not been checked out since he remodeled his house.
The only light in the kitchen was one decorative light high up over a cabinet.
While the appliances we needed worked, we had to cook with a lantern and headlights.
2. Grab more paper plates, plastic forks, cups and napkins than you think you’ll need.
Even though we were staying at our friend’s home and they had a house generator, the last thing you want to do is run the dishwasher, or try to wash dishes in a low light.
3.Have extra flashlights for anyone who might be staying with you.
If someone has to get up during the night, they’ll need it to get around.
4. Even though you may no longer eat pb&j sandwiches, they are excellent during a hurricane.
Oh yes, they are easy to make and the ingredients will keep for days. When you’re sitting in the house looking out at the wind and rain (if you can) or the following day when you’re discouraged from driving around, some of the only things that helps to pass the time are chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, pretzels, and any other junk food that you haven’t touched in 10 years.
5.Even with a house generator, it may not work, so bring back up lanterns.
Our generator went out the day BEFORE the hurricane. Thankfully, Larry and our friend were able to fix it. However, I’m so glad we had extra lamps and lanterns.
6. You may not be able to get fresh fruit and vegetables immediately after a hurricane so purchase some to help tide you over.
While our local large chain grocery store was well prepared with water and batteries, their store generator didn’t work. Consequently, the day after the storm, all of their frozen foods, produce, meats and dairy had to be thrown away.
Buy a few extra before the storm!
7. Make sure that your government and weather emergency alerts aren’t silenced on your smartphones.
My phone is usually on Do Not Disturb between certain hours of the night and early morning. However, thankfully, my emergency alerts were on. Sometime in the middle of the night or early morning, both of our phones went off with Tornado alerts for our area.
On the iPhone, go into your Settings>Notifications>then scroll all the way down to Government Alerts.
I’m hoping that 2018 will be a hurricane-free year but just in case...I’m putting into place what I learned from Irma.
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