Preparing for a Storm

There's a hurricane in the neighborhood, and it's a big one. With sustained winds of 140 miles per hour, Hurricane Matthew is a category 4 storm that will certainly do serious damage wherever it hits. We are currently under a hurricane warning, which means we have about 24 hours to prepare. There are plenty of checklists and information available for hurricane preparedness, so I don't think I will go through the usual list of items to have on hand. But there are a few things which have become part of my routine for getting ready and sometimes aren't mentioned in those checklists:

• Food and water are, of course, the most important items. It's best to have what you need for two weeks, but three days is the minimum. At this point, if shopping for food, get nonperishables. Tap water can be contaminated, therefore bottled water is necessary -- or at least bottle your own before the storm, in whatever containers you have handy. If you have room in the freezer, put some of those containers of water in there to freeze.
• Wash any produce, like lettuce and fruits before the storm. Again, tap water could be contaminated, and you don't want to use your drinking water for washing veggies.
• Consider doing some cooking ahead of time, like boiling eggs, browning ground meat, or baking bread. I always make cinnamon rolls -- we call them hurricane rolls. It's a tradition that just kind of happened after I made them for Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
• Begin making ice and bagging it up for a few days before the storm. You'll need it after a few days to keep your perishable food cold. 
• Because the electricity almost always goes out during these events, alternate methods of cooking must be considered. If you will be using a grill or camp stove, be sure you have fuel.
• Paper plates and cups are handy to have in order to conserve water. You don't want to be washing dishes in contaminated water. You could boil the water, but then you are using more fuel.
• Get all the laundry washed. When the power goes out, that washer and dryer won't be working. And if you need to iron clothes for work, get that done ahead of time. You may have to go back to work or school before you have electricity..
• Check the property for items that may become airborne -- patio furniture, potted plants, coconuts, etc. Strange things happen in hurricanes, and you never know what might end up in a tree or slamming into a window or somebody's car as it flies through the air.
• Get your storm shutters up or use plywood to cover the windows. A few years ago, we replaced our windows with hurricane impact-resistant ones, so thankfully, this is one job we don't need to do.
• Make sure you have flashlights, a radio, and batteries, and charge all electronic devices. 
• Take pictures of your valuables, and make sure you have important papers secure.
• Once the critical things have been taken care of, do some house cleaning while you still have electricity.
• When everything is done, take a nice, hot, luxurious shower or bath. You never know when you'll get another.
• Prepare for the worst and pray for the best. Remember, Jesus calmed the wind and the waves with His words. God is in control!