How to prepare for this wet and wild summer

Charlie Farrar

Tis June and hurricane season is upon us again. Are we going to have a big one this year or just get the remnants of one that hits someplace else?

Are you prepared? Will you stay here and ride it out or be one of the many in the massive traffic jam should one head our direction?

Having gone to the grocery store prior to one coming before, I will advise you strongly to go now and buy your water and canned goods because the stores shelves will be empty.

I am preparing our list and checking it twice. Water will be on my next few shopping trips as well as a few other items like instant coffee. Yuck you say but it’s better than nothing.

A few bottles of propane are on the list and I’ll keep the big one filled also.

How are you going to cook? Wal-Mart has the small propane grills over in the garden section for $29.95 and I bought one. Best grill for the money that I found and you will need something to cook any thawed out meat you’ll have when your freezer finally cools down.

We have candles and they are old but still useable. There are a couple of hurricane lamps in the attic and I may well drag them out. Of course it takes kerosene to make them work and I’ve had a gallon of it for several years now. I wonder it is still any good?

A manual can opener is a must because the electric ones are hard to operate manually, I guarantee it.

What will you eat? Canned beans get old quick. Fresh fruit does not stay fresh long.
One year we stocked up on canned goods and it took us what seemed like forever to finally go through and eat all of it.

The Mrs. ain’t much on canned tuna. We ate so much of it when we first got married, seems like she got her fill; that and Spam. Can you relate to something like that?

If you think you might need some plywood, best to get a few sheets now because there will not be any available afterwards; that or sheetrock.

Of course a roll of plastic would be useful and a heavy duty stapler to secure it with. That is something you gals can get yours truly for Fathers Day or an early Christmas gift.

Rubber boots will come in handy afterwards but they are not of much use when water is up to your belly button.

Saltine crackers keep a lot longer than loaf bread as do cookies and other crackers.

Best to take a count on your batteries. We keep all fresh batteries in a shoebox and have an assortment available for immediate use.

Flashlights are a must but the ones that use three or more batteries have a longer life and provide more light than the two cell flashlights. Rechargeable flashlights are great but once it runs down, how will you recharge it unless you have electricity, a generator or other means?

Load up on bug spray for you as well as for the house. The air conditioner will not be running and if you keep the doors open, flies, skeets and other insects will surely come in the house. The bug candles in bucket form are great for repelling the skeets.

Keep your cell phone charged because normal phone service is generally knocked out with down lines.

Hope this little bit of advice helps you and hope you never have to go through something that will huff and puff and blow your house down.