Whatever is in Your Grab Bag In Case of Trouble - Belongs in Your Hurricane Supplies. Easy Way to Start Doing Hurricane Prep

 

Nate Johnson tweeted this image with the question "what would you do if you had to evacuate in a hurry" in this case if you were in a hotel and there was a Fire Alarm. I'm not one to overly worry though I'm fairly orderly in what I do when unpacking in a hotel room. I don't obsess over a problem happening such as fire, though I lost a close friend in Champlain Towers South and it was a while before I felt comfortable in a large hotel. Yeah, I shaked it off and stayed with my daughter in a beautiful large hotel in Myrtle Beach where we obsessively watched and listened to news on what was happening in Surfside ...but the reality of "what if" seemed closer and more real than it had in years. I thought going away for a day or two might help us, but we were obsessed, a bit emotionally broken and we did have a lot of good quality time together. But I remember walking through the halls and well being a bit morbid.

In truth it's a great concept to apply to Hurricane Season as well as many "Natural Disasters" such as Tornadoes or Earthquakes. Having a Grab Bag or "To Go Bag" in case of an emergency is where you begin when thinking on how to prepare.

I mean what's more important than your license, medical insurance cards, credit cards, medication and yes probably in my case make up?  Sorry, but I really enjoy being a girl in all ways. Change of clothing? Laptop or Chromebook. Phone and various chargers and portable charger or "power bank" that is fully charged are important as is a small radio with batteries and back up batteries. The list goes on for whatever your personal needs are and that would include a diaper bag for young parents, small favorite toy (think stuffed animal) for a little child. Flashlight of some sort that is easily portable and extra batteries. Seriously you do not want to wear down your phone battery using it as a flashlight in the dark....

The new electronic devices with the little cords that allow you to charge your phone, radio, hair dryer and the list goes on are wonderful but they are based on your ability to charge your device to an electrical outlet.

 

Mike www.spaghettimodels.com posted this a while ago.

Bought one, not bad. Has the crank device.

Works.

I hate to remind anyone who has not gone through a landfalling Major Hurricane that your power may be out for days, weeks even unless you have a generator at home and your home is still in realtively standing order... and the gas tanks didn't blow away ....then you will most likely manage. If you evacuate after the storm (a sometimes timely difficult process) you will need to have things you can grab to take with you as time is of the essence usually.

2005 Hurricane Season and South Florida...

Note all 3 of these hurricanes came close enough to SFL

...for South Florida to have mutliple power shortages.

Especially after Katrina slammed us head one.

Rita was a "Drive By" but trees tilting fell down.

Power Grid, leaking roofs continued.

Then Wilma knocked everything down again.

This is what you call a PATTERN

Variations in the pattern.

But a pattern.

Lessons Learned

Not being funny, but I am, because the scramble to charge our cell phones after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma blowing away out electrical grid was a never ending battle of wits. Someone in the family didn't want to waste gas that was impossible to find post storm ... all day charging batteries for their siblings. Luckily, he had a job that eventually opened at a local Barnes and Noble that had underground electric so he'd take everyone's phones to work, charge them ( a lot of trust here but he came through) and then return them in the evening and finally we solved that problem. Yes, the house phone in the kitchen did work! I remember that because another son called from New York to tell me that Michelle Malkin was linking to my blog and I wasn't blogging. When I explained to him I had no electric for my computer he told me to "speak slowly" and he'll post the blog for me after giving him the password (so much trust comes into play after a hurricane when trying to live a normal life) and so I slowly, carefully put out a blog post explaining what was going on first hand in Miami from Hurricane Katrina that stole our utilities, trees, rooftops in some places and yet Miami's troubles barely made the news after Katrina went on to rampage her way across Mississippi and Louisiana. 

After the power grid was threaded back together again, trees were cleaned up and stores and work places opened up finally and then we were hit again by Rita and then Wilma. It was a long few months. I barely was able to work as the library was closed and no I didn't get paid for that time! Trees that were standing but leaning came down in the next two storms (including a huge ficus tree across the street that blocked the street for weeks by the time Wilma hit it again) and the power grid that was barely put back together was fragile and gone with the wind from Wilma. At least Wilma rode a diving cold front and the air was blessedly cooler AFTER Wilma than Andrew in August years before. Did I mention rats run wild when the power is out in a neighborhood? You might want a grab bag to go somewhere til the power comes back on if that's an option for you........

ID, Cash, Credit Cards

Medicine (pills, inhlaer, etc)

       Allergies will be off the chart after a hurricane so make sure you have whatever you need.

              MOLD from piles of wet debris in the hot sun for weeks if not months.

Phone batteries, chargers, power bank...whatever you will need.

Change of clothing. Change of shoes. Sweater or Coat depending on the time of year.

In truth I don't obsess on this much but if I lived in Earthquake Country or where Twisters danced across the landscape damaging any semblance of normal I'd keep a Go Bag. And, to add to that North Carolina is prone to Nighttime Tornadoes and a few times I have put my purse in a safe place as well as a pair of shoes. That said...........when I venture out of my apartment into the storm, take photos I take my phone usually not my ID. Hmmn. 

After Andrew I learned one important lesson with children...............

Feed the kids early while the light from outside that filters into the dark house is readily available. The house on Miami Beach had huge windows and we had wonderful light until about 5 or 6 PM when the angle lessened and darkness settled in.... kids needed to have their shoes by them, snacks, toys whatever. Conserving the batteries we used for radio and mini TV (before cable) was huge and frustrating. Years later we moved to North Miami Beach into a house designed for AC meaning there were barely any windows and the house got dark by 4 PM... Try it, turn all your the lights off in your condo (usually limited windows) or home and see how much light you have after the sun begins slowly to set and add in IF THIS WAS A REAL HURRICANE not a drill you would have very little ambient light from outside if all the power on your street was out.

You learn to keep things close.

Be organized.

Corral First Aid Supplies on an easily accessible table.

You learn a lot of things once you have been through such a hurricane season or a Major Hurricane. 

Advice from Google is excellent but it doesn't quite break it down enough. Keep snacks and medical supplies somewhere easily accessible. Guard the snacks with your life if you have children, seriously.

Honestly my kids were great in 2005, they set up a fake BBQ Pit in the driveway with large coral rocks they found ... cooked once frozen defrosting turkeys people dropped off and made cook outs. They adapt easily I'll give them credit. Oh, if you have a child who has claustrophobia and or is a afraid of the dark buy some Tap Lights (and lots of batteries) and let them have their own light to keep with them.. it helps, trust me.

Stay tuned...  37 Days until 2023 Hurricane Season begins officially if not sooner.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram

Twitter mostly weather... Instagram weather and whatever