Happy Hurricane Helper

Attention New Yorkers: I know you think you are capable. I know you think you are ready. I know you think you are prepared for any kind of situation. But, as a native South Floridian, let me give you the gentlest of reminders that there is something coming you may not be fully prepared for:

Hurricane Irene.

If you've been paying attention to the news (which by the way I totally haven't, but had to be informed by my mother) you will know that a category 2 hurricane was rapidly headed towards SoFlo. Key word here being was. Its projected path has now completely changed, making it skip Florida entirely, hitting the east coast somewhere between South and North Carolina and continuing straight north to...... wait for it...... NYC by about 2 AM Monday! Woohoo!

"Woohoo? What are you talking about? This is already a pretty strong storm (recently up to a category 3) and by the time it hits the east coast it will have spent a few more days over water gaining strength. It could even be a category 4 or (shudder) 5 by the time it gets here! What do you mean WOOHOO??"
This is what I imagine some of you are thinking right now... right? No? Awkward....

In any case, this information is all true. And later on in this blog post, I will give you some tips straight from the horses mouth about how to prepare for a hurricane. But if you're wondering why I'm so nonchalant and even a little excited, it all comes from the fact that for me hurricanes have sort of been, well, kinda fun.

I'm not saying that hurricanes are to be taken lightly, and I do not think it is at all funny or non-serious (?) that people have lost their lives and homes from these storms at their worst. This is merely my point of view because, luckily, I have never been rendered homeless or physically incapacitated by a hurricane. My experience has been slightly different.

Imagine you are a kid, and you hear a hurricane is coming. If you have been through one before, you know certain things are going to happen:
1. School is definitely going to be closed for anywhere from 1 to 7 or 8 days.
2. Wood is going to be nailed on the windows.
3. There will be lots of water bottles and canned food
4. There will be a river in your street.
5. Afterward, there will be branches everywhere, with spaces big enough to crawl into.
6. Your whole family will be in the same room and you get to stay up way past your bedtime.

Basically, your house is turned into a fort with moat included, you don't have to go to school, and you get to pretend like you're camping.
Now, how does that sound? That's right. Totally AWESOME.

Now, as an adult, I realize putting the brakes on an entire city is very difficult. I know if the hurricane hits our little big apple and hits it hard, it will be difficult to shake off the debris and get going again. But let's admit it, if there's anything New Yorkers can do, it's starting again and again and again. And, with the proper precautions, you can give yourself a few advantages and stay safe.

Tip 1: BUY WATER. BUY A LOT OF WATER. Water is always the first thing to be contaminated, and after a hurricane, Brita ain't gonna do shit. Buy big bottles, and put a few in the freezer. This way, if the power goes out, you'll still have cold water, for a while anyway.
Tip 2: Speaking of freezers, eat everything perishable in your fridge this week before the hurricane gets here. Again, power outage is a high risk, and you don't want rotting cheese and meat to deal with. So, have a few dinner parties this week, but get it out, and save your money.
Tip 3: Buy food. But, buy non-perishable items. Canned goods are always a good option, and you can't go wrong with dry goods in water-proof packages. I distinctly remember eating Alpha-bits cereal after hurricane Andrew in '92, and damn if it wasn't the best cereal I've ever had.
Tip 4: If you don't have them already, get candles and flashlights. If the power goes out, you don't want to be without light. Check the batteries in your flashlights, and grab some backups just in case. Make sure you know where every alternate light source is, and put them in an easy to reach spot. (This tip credited to Aaron because I originally had a brain fart and forgot to put it. Oops.)
Tip 5: Take a few hundred dollars out of the bank in cash and keep it safe. Or, if you are one of my fellow tip-earners, wait until next week to put it into your account. ATMs and banks might be out of order/closed, and you don't want to be without money until they decide to work again.
Tip 6: I realize this is not really an option for many apartment dwellers, but if you have a window that you can reach and is not protected by metal, put some plywood over it. Winds get very very strong, and the last thing you want is a stop sign or a freaking TREE (totally happened to me) through your window.
Tip 7: If you have bookshelves, or any items that might be damaged by water, rip up a strong garbage bag and secure it over them. just in case a window breaks or there is flooding, it's nice to have that little bit of a backup off your mind. Let's be real, if the power goes out, we're going to be turning to books to keep busy anyway, right?
Tip 8: Stake it out with a friend! There is no easier way to last through what can be a very scary night than by camping out in your apartment with someone who can talk to you and keep your mind off the storm. My favorite part of hurricanes was my whole family, dogs included, sitting on one mattress playing games and singing songs, or just sitting listening to the wind. It turned the experience into something exciting and fun, and a great memory to look back on.

So there you have it. My best tips for weathering out a hurricane. Please, everyone, stay safe, and keep updated on the hurricane's progress. This is a great site that is updated every 6 hours: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml
Also, if any fellow Floridians can think of tips that I forgot, please add them! We want everyone to be as informed as possible.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear a box of Alpha-bits calling my name. Happy Hurricane everybody!