As a lifelong “Florida Man” I have thoroughly enjoyed watching half of the FL “Transplants” lose their minds over the past week. See, longtime Floridians know if you’re gonna live here you better get used to Hurricanes. We get hit consistently year after year. That’s not to say one shouldn’t be prepared it’s just that after one has experienced a few preparedness becomes second nature. Everyone I know has at least one small generator to run the essentials (i.e. refrigerator, hot water heater, electric burner, etc.), many have large, standby back-up generators along with an ATS switch to automaticity start & switch over when power is lost. As for water, foodstuffs, batteries, flashlights, etc., many of us keep those well stocked year round. Occasionally switching old out for new or having to restock a few things at the beginning of the season. The most dangerous part of these storms are human indecision, panic, unpreparedness, or just plain stupidity.

This chaotic dash & run on stores isn’t necessary. Make a plan & stick with it. If you think it’s best for you & your family to leave, it’s best to do it before evacuations start. Traffic becomes a nightmare & only gets worse as the storm approaches. People have died in their vehicles stuck in traffic during hurricanes. Give yourself plenty of advance time to beat the rush. If you decide to stay, stick with that decision as safely as possible. A fearful change-of-heart will cause you to make mistakes & put yourself & loved ones at an even greater risk. Whatever your decision, Be Confident! There’s no shame in leaving for a few days & then finding out you were never in danger. Nor is there shame in realizing you underestimated the storm & you don’t want to be there anymore. If you are set to stay, it’s a good idea to assume you won’t have electricity for at least a few days. You can also assume the surrounding cell towers won’t have it either, creating a ‘dead zone’ around you. Think about how you are gonna heat food, what about making coffee?, how will you flush toilets if water is cut off?, is your freezer stocked with meats that will start to go bad without electricity?. Think about living a normal day without modern amenities. This will uncover many blindspots you never realized. It’s remarkable how much we take for granted until it’s gone.

Now for a few of my own personal tips that you don’t typically hear on the news but help nonetheless.

• Toilets - Fill your bathtub or several 5-gallon buckets with water before the storm hits. If you lose water you can use a small bucket or cup to fill the tank each time the toilet is flushed, making it ready for the next person.

• Hand Sanitizer - This is a necessity. Again, if you lose water it’s difficult to wash your hands with bottled. Hand sanitizer helps a lot in this area.

• Crank Radio - This is invaluable during power loss. You will want to stay informed & sure everyone has radios with batteries but these emergency crank radios are worth the money. They need no batteries & many have built-in flashlights & USB ports that you can use to charge phones & other electronics.Amazon

• Portable Battery Bank/Pack - Again, these come in handy for phones & other electronics.Amazon

• Entertainment - People rarely think about this as being a necessity but it can quickly become one, especially with kids. Without TV, devices, or Internet you will want something to occupy your family’s time. This not only keeps everyone sane & not bickering at one another, the right activity can actually serve to bring the family closer. We personally keep a collection of board games, puzzles, decks of playing cards, UNO cards, art supplies, & prepackaged craft & science kits. If you are ever in a situation without electricity these things will feel like a lifeline more than almost anything else.

• Small Propane Camp Stove - These Are fairly cheap & simple devices. Their usefulness is enormous. Be sure to have several 16oz propane tanks available. Amazon

• Coffee Percolator - This depends on if you’re a coffee drinker or not. If you are, this combined with the stove will slake your cravings while in power limbo. Be sure to get a camp/stovetop percolator & not electric. Amazon

This is about the extent of my hurricane experience wisdom. I hope it helps to curb at least some of the Hurricane Hysteria or even a little of the Cyclone Chaos. I hope it helps someone stay safe.

As an aside, we are waiting this one out again & may be directly in its path. We’ve made the decision & are sticking with it.

**I’m Located Where The Yellow/Black Dot Is