Now that fall has arrived and many Floridians are putting on their sweaters, jeans, and other long articles of clothing, so, too, has hurricane season come and gone. The word “hurricane” to anyone outside of Florida or new Florida residents sparks a bit of fear and worry. People google it, see the terrifying images of storms like Katrina or Irma and they begin to assume the worst. But I’m here to tell you that despite hurricanes being incredibly terrifying, unless you have a direct hit or you are close to the center of the storm, it’s more likely that you will experience intense winds, lots of rain, and if you’re a surfer, some gnarly waves leading up to the hurricane’s arrival.
I may be a Floridian (born not raised) but Hurricane Dorian was my first true hurricane that I can remember. Having lived in Taiwan, I made it through several typhoons, including typhoon Megi, which hit Taiwan and China and did some pretty significant damage, but also created this meme I always giggle at. But typhoons there were easy: where I lived, the mountains disrupted 95% of the potential damaging winds and rain, so it was more or less an excuse to take a break from work and watch a lot of movies. They called them typhoon days and I actually looked forward to them quite a bit.
So how does one prepare for a hurricane, maybe one as powerful and potentially threatening as Dorian? Well, it’s not rocket science, but there are several things that people must do to ensure their safety. Let’s start out with what not to do:
- Do not go to the beach during the hurricane’s landfall “just to see what it’s like”. This is not only extremely risky, but many areas along the coast have barrier islands and zones closer to the beaches evacuated, so you would have to really sneak around to get there, but good luck with that. Police patrol the area extremely well and are all hands on deck during these storms.
- Do not leave your house without shutters and park your car somewhere safe, away from trees or other flying debris. This believe it or not is actually something some people don’t do, but just for the sake of protecting yourself from damage to your house or loads of bills to fix your windshield, find a garage to park your car. Several cities open their garages to the public, free of charge, to help people remain safe.
- Do not leave animals behind! I can’t stress this enough. Some in complete distress leave their animals behind because they fear for their own life, but what ultimately happens is the pets end up perishing or stuck without help or resources, and then shelters have to patrol and collect animals just left to the mercy of the hurricane. There was a pretty awesome story about one lady in the Bahamas gathering 97 dogs into her house. Be sure to protect your animals!
Now for some of the things that people need to make sure they do:
- Do prepare supplies for at least a week or two, just in case the power goes out. This includes food (preferably nonperishable), water (1 gallon per person for day), flashlights, batteries, candles, entertainment for the time you have to wait out the storm, cash (ATMs likely won’t work if the storm is damaging enough), bags packed in case evacuation is necessary, a full tank of gas (do this early so that you don’t have to wait for hours in line or have none at all), and extra battery packs for your electronics.
- Do know your evacuation zone and have the news on, whether it be radio or TV, to be in the know. Florida news stations are amazing at keeping residents up to date. During Dorian, the news was kept on at all times and all other programming was suspended. Weather updates were given every half hour and they were always accurate. Literally, spot on! If you don’t know your evacuation zone, you can check with your local county.
- Secure anything outside that is loose so that it will not fly around, or bring it inside. This includes plants, outdoor furniture, or anything that you normally keep outside. Winds are mighty and they can literally flip cars if they carry enough strength. This was, unfortunately, the case in the Bahamas.
- Have a plan of action in case your family and friends are separated and a means of communicating to get together if the storm is serious and damaging. This is essential. Whether it be texting, social media, or calling, or any other form, it is important to know what to do in case something drastic happens. Find a central meeting point if flooding occurs and you can’t go back to your house. Just prepare for the worst, even if you are sure it won’t happen, and Mike Lyons from the news tells you a billion times “to trust the science”, because it’s right 99.9% of the time.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The community I live in is super awesome in the fact that everyone helps everyone with their hurricane prep. It was not uncommon to see neighbors assisting with the shutters, giving their water to their friends, and having giant hurricane parties and all eating at one person’s house. Generosity and community goes a long way, and despite the hysteria at grocery stores prior to the storm, people are increasingly kind and understanding and above all, just want to help each other be safe. So don’t be afraid to ask for help! There are plenty of people willing and able to, and even some people who will put your shutters up for $10 a window.
With all the chaos and the worry about storms like hurricanes pounding the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard, it’s important to be prepared, but also to take time after the storm to take care of anything that needs repairing and mending. And also, it’s important for people to come together, especially in cases like in the Bahamas. With damage so catastrophic from days of a category 5 storm pounding on them, humanity could use a little sympathy and giving in times like that.
Above all, remember: help yourself, but don’t forget to look after your friends and neighbors. Generosity and kindness go a long way in times like this, and it’s part of the Florida community spirit that I have come to appreciate after living her for half a year now. Be safe and stay dry, my friends!
