Hurricane Post!
As most if not all of you know, I came up to New England after getting tired of nature punching me in the face--referring to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita's dance party back in 05. Clearly, my plan has failed, and this year we've had ice storm blizzards and tornadoes and earthquakes....and now Hurricane Irene. History can teach us many things. Here's the lesson Louisiana learned in 05. Pre-Katrina Thought: "Oh, those silly forecasters! They think we'll actually get hit! Hurricanes never *really* hit us, they always swerve at the last minute and get Florida instead!" ....That line of thought led to me being on the road driving north the Sunday night before Katrina hit. Then, not even a month later, Rita hit. Pre-Rita Thought: "No way it will happen again. Katrina was our big hit of the season; we're dead; nature will leave us alone now. Besides, it's hitting Texas this time. They were right about Katrina's path, so... We're good!" Meanwhile, in Texas, they were like: "All hands to battle station!" Rita saw the Texans were ready and figured it would be more fun to wreck Louisiana again. So, she did. Lesson to be learned: MOTHER NATURE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE! SHE WILL DRINK YOUR TEARS! Other, more valuable lesson to be learned: If you are prepared, the hurricane will get bored and leave. If you are unprepared, it will make you cry. So, what happens in and after a hurricane?
- Lots of wind and rain! Don't park your car where a tree branch will land on it; be careful to stay in rooms that don't have overhanging branches ready to fall and kill you.
- Expect electricity to go out. The downed power lines will also make driving a pain. Extended power outages have their own problems--like, if they take out water treatment thingies, boil advisories--so you'd better have bottled water!
- FLOODING FLOODING FLOODING FLOODING. Back during Hurricane Gustav, my older brother had JUST drained his pool for repairs. He went outside the morning after, and the pool was filled again. Some streets become impassible. When I visited home a couple of months after Gustav, houses still had rolled up carpet outside that had been ripped out of rooms after minor in-house flooding.
- Stock up on batteries, water, flashlights, and imperishable food. I'd take it a step further and finish off milk/eggs/things that will go bad in the days leading up to the storm, but that's because I'm cheap and hate throwning away spoiled food
- By the way, stock up on water.
- Fill up your car with gas.
- Get cash. If power is out, so are atms.
- And stock up SOON. Shortages and fights over the last flat of water are pretty common. Even if you are at the edge of the expected area that's being hit, stock up--people passing through evacuating will take a huge toll on your supplies.
- Grab some books, pray to whatever deity you follow, and charge your cell phone!
- Be overdramatic and overprepared: try to convince the hurricane that it would be a funnier joke for it to wait for you to be ready and then ride off into the ocean to never be seen again, leaving no devistation in its wake.
- Remember! Hurricanes don't happen here in New England, just like tornadoes don't! Just ask Springfield and its surrounding areas!
- (Again, stock up on batteries and water soon. They'll be the first to be sold out).
- Get your best scary stories ready for when it is a dark and spooky night. You'll get bored.
- Remember to restock pet food.
- If I have repeated something in this list, it means it is important. By the way, be sure you have batteries and water.