A Plan
But a phone call from our youngest daughter saved me the trouble. Odd, isn’t it, how when you least expect it your child becomes the advice-giver, the adult, and we, the adults sit in wonderment that our kid turned out so smart? That’s what happened. She lives in Brunswick, Georgia. Brunswick is on the coast near the Florida border. One year ago they suffered hurricane devastation and just this week have finished the reconstruction of their home and purchased new furniture. (Last week’s blog.) They’ve lived through other ‘canes as well, so really are veterans. She called, we chatted, then I asked her the big Plan question. I didn’t expect such a big answer!
Not surprising, have lots of clean contained water on hand. Check all the flashlights and have plenty of extra batteries. Keep then all together and know where they are. Gather up important papers that you might need wherever you are: insurance, health care, emergency & family contact numbers. Put them in plastic and keep them with you. Be sure your car is fully gassed up with an extra can of gasoline for the road. If you are on an evacuation route, there are no exits open. You need food and water in your car. At home, you need food that doesn’t require preparation, crackers, peanut butter.
Fill a plastic Ziplock with water and put it in the freezer. When the water is frozen lay a penny on top of the ice inside the bag. When you’re allowed back home, before using anything in the house, check that bag. If the penny is no longer lying on top of the ice, throw away everything in the fridge and freezer. If it’s still on top of the ice, you can use it.
She said there are three times to decide whether to leave. 1) If you can afford to leave, you don’t have a job, you have a place to go, you can take your pets, just go. Go as soon as you know you are in the storm’s path. 2) If you can find a place and it takes your pets, and you can be away from your job for a short time, then wait as long as it’s safe, then go. The road is getting clogged by this time. The longer you wait, the harder the roads inland. 3) Evacuation. Everyone needs to get out of Dodge. It’s a mess. Don’t wait till then if you can avoid it. Last year when she and her family evacuated they went to her brother’s near Atlanta. He lost power and the two families were together without any electricity for the next week!
When you leave, if there are things you must protect, family data, photographs, business, anything important, irreplaceable or valuable, wrap them and put them in the dishwasher. Other things can be put in a plastic tub, sealed and put in the top of a closet or in the attic.
I’m listening. I’m making a list. I’m getting batteries tomorrow. Unpacking my candles. Freezing water. Tuesday morning when we hear the update, we’ll decide. We have our home in the mountains with everything still in place. This old house has probably weathered hundreds of hurricanes since 1790. It’s only new to us. Wish me luck with our first Hurricane Plan. I’m grateful to the congressman for informing me I needed one!