Don't put away your rain boots just yet

Ormond Beach Observer
News

Summer might be ending, but hurricane season is still in full swing.

Lately, my usually sunny demeanor has been clouded with a foggy attitude.

Like everything bad that happens to me, this really isn’t my fault. My mood can be directly related to the weather outside my window. Florida, literally named the state of sunshine, has been anything but this past week and it’s really taken a toll on my productivity.

I don’t know about you, but when it rains, it pours. What starts off as a quick 15 minute break from work, can quickly turn into a complete day of hibernation. And since I live alone, I have no one to save me from this vicious, yet very relaxing, cycle.

After a few days of this heart-aching weather, I found a little motivation to investigate what the heck was going on with my warm and sunny. It turns out, we are quickly entering the late-season hurricane season.

According to Weather.com (some in-depth research I did, I know), though 80% of hurricanes have hit prior to October in the last 50 years, there have been deadly and destructive storms late in the season.

I remember missing school in sixth grade for Hurricane Frances that was leaving all the roads in my neighborhood flooded right around this same time ten years ago. The road to my granddad’s house had so much water that we saw river otters swimming through it.

Back then I was super stoked about any type of event that would get me out of math class and very unaware of the danger hurricanes can actually present. Fast forward to now, I live in a house alone, with a lot of big windows, 15 minutes from the beach. The danger factor has increased quite a bit.

Though I still wasn’t happy for what this rainy season was doing to my mood, I wasn’t about to head into the storm unprepared. I checked the city of Ormond Beach’s website for what was considered proper hurricane prep. Here’s what I found:

Check your supply kit for flashlights, batteries, battery-powered radios, coolers, bottled water, non-perishable food, medicines, and pet supplies.
Get any cash you’ll need before a storm hits, since banks may close and ATMs may lose power or run out of money.
Residents who live on beachside, in mobile homes, or near rivers may be asked to evacuate if a hurricane is approaching. Use shelters as a last resort – stay with friends or family on higher ground, or a hotel inland.
If you have special health needs, update your plans with your caregiver and family in case of power outages or evacuations.
Have tarps on hand to minimize roof leaks, board up windows, and seal or sandbag problem areas where water may come in. Minor roof leaks can cause major mold problems within a few weeks, so try to stop leaks quickly.
Be extremely careful with outside generators that can send deadly fumes into your home – carbon-monoxide is odorless. Never run them inside, or in a garage or even a car port. Be careful that winds are not blowing fumes into an open window or AC unit.
Set up one point of contact out of the area and keep them updated so they can let the rest of your family and friends know what's going on.
Make plans for your pets if you have to leave your home. Volusia County has one shelter that accommodates pets. Otherwise, take them with you, or utilize a kennel or friends.
Listen to the official emergency public information stations: WNDB 1150 AM, WVYB 103.3 FM, WHOG 95.7 FM, US93 93.1 FM, and WCEU TV 15. Ormond Beach and Volusia County also distribute public information to other major radio media outlets as well.
Don't duct tape your windows. Utilizing hurricane shutters, quality hurricane window film, or simply boarding up your windows will be effective in protecting your house.

Now, I wasn’t about to start boarding up my windows now like some apocalyptic-fearing maniac, but this list did inspire me to create my own hurricane safety kit. Mostly because I really just wanted an excuse to go shopping.

Besides the obvious flashlights and batteries, I included a few personal extras:

a huge stack of girly magazines
bulk packages of Cheez Its
a external charger for my phone (and an external charger for my external charger)
a wifi hotspot
tons of treats for Bear (which he did not want to wait for a hurricane to eat)

There may only be rain right now, but if a storm does hit, at least I’ll feel a little more prepared than I was in sixth grade.