Preparing for Hurricane Sandy

A few days ago, people started talking about something called Frankenstorm. As usual, I assumed the news was being melodramatic and people needed a clever name for an impending storm. I had bigger fish to fry and focused on work instead. Basically, I ignored anything as ridiculous as "Frankenstorm." However, this storm refuses to be ignored. Her name is really Sandy is she is out to get the east coast.

I finally decided to take Frankenstorm seriously when customers started calling us at work and asking if we were about to close. I checked the Weather Channel's website and indeed, there was Hurricane Sandy. I looked at the path the storm was expected to take and guess where the forecasters felt this little monster was going to hit? It was set to hit the middle of the east coast. I live in Maryland, so you can imagine just how... umm... "interested" I was to learn more.

Hurricane Sandy is supposed to be a historic storm. Due to the way the tides are going to come in and the strong winds, it is expected to be the worst storm we've seen in many years. We are expecting power outages, strong winds, and possibly even snow! Apparently, this storm is like a combination of a nor'easter and a hurricane. Wow. Can I move to Arizona now?

To top off all the fun I am obviously going to have this weekend preparing for Hurricane Sandy, it is Early Voting Weekend in Maryland. For those of us that can't make it out to vote on Election Day, we have the option of voting this weekend at specific locations. Since I do not have the most flexible schedule at work, it seemed like the right idea to go vote today. While waiting in line for hours, that idea started to seem like it was not such a great plan after all.

When I could have been hanging out in a grocery store or Walmart freaking out about supplies, I was instead standing in line for hours while experiencing the winds getting stronger. You know, it is one thing to hear about Hurricane Sandy, but I really feel like standing in a painfully long line that wraps all the way around an entire administrative building on a college campus gives me that true Sandy experience.

After spending my entire morning on a voting adventure, it is time to really get down to business with my new buddy that is coming to visit soon, Sandy. If you live anywhere on the east coast, you should start to get prepared, too. I can't say I am willing to call this thing Frankenstorm just yet, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

As of 3:00 PM on Saturday, October 27, 2012, these states have already declared States of Emergency:

• Connecticut
• New York
• New Jersey
• Maryland
• Washington, DC
• Virginia
• Pennsylvania

If you are preparing for a hurricane, make sure to have these items on hand:

• First Aid Kit
• Food that does not need to be heated or refrigerated
• Flashlights
• Batteries
• Battery operated radio
• Water (1 gallon of drinking water per person per day)
• Blankets
• Towels in case windows begin to leak
• Candles
• Matches
• Sand bags in case you live in an area likely to flood
• Masking tape for windows
• Boards for windows if you live close to the ocean
• Buckets of water for flushing toilets

I already went to the grocery store yesterday. Even though I needed to go anyway, I did stock up on a few extra things. I did buy more milk than usual and more fruits than usual. I already have food that does not need to be heated, so I am hoping that will be enough if I do lose power, which is expected.

When purchasing food in preparation for a disaster, you should try to get food that does not need to be refrigerated, and if possible, food you will not have to cook. Some suggestions are:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Pop Tarts
• Granola Bars
• Cereal Bars
• Bread
• Peanut Butter
• Crackers
• Snacks
• Pudding, applesauce, and fruit cups

Even if you do lose power, your refrigerator can still keep food cold for about 24 hours or even longer if you have plenty of ice. For this reason, one of my major activities this weekend is making lots of ice. If you have an icemaker, turn it on as soon as possible and keep it on. Keep filling up containers with ice. If you have plenty of ice and lose power for a few days, it is still likely you can keep all or most of your food. If you do not have an icemaker, you can opt to buy bags of ice now and store them, or you can be creative. Place plastic cups full of water in your freezer so they can freeze right now while you still have power.

In many cases, you will need extra water on hand. In some homes, you can't even flush the toilet if the power goes out. Make sure to fill water bottles and pitchers full of fresh water. I will also be filling up buckets with water since I know I will not be able to flush the toilet in my apartment building if we lose power.

I am also about to have what I would like to describe as a "charging adventure" at my home. I am all about having electricity. I know some people like to conserve their power and good for them. For me, I like my TV on at all times when I am home. I enjoy using my computer and sometimes, even using my Kindle Fire at the exact same time I am using the computer. I love electricity. If and when I lose the electricity, I am going to be a very sad person. To prevent me from experiencing major depression, I am going to charge my cell phone, laptop, Kindle Fire, MP3 player, and portable DVD player very soon. I will also periodically charge them throughout the weekend as long as I have electricity.

Finally, I've done some inventory as far as flashlights and candles go. Since I am a big Yankee Candle addict, I have plenty of candles on hand. It will probably smell like Christmas in here since many of my old candles are holiday candles. I also got very lucky with flashlights and batteries. There was a big sale on batteries last weekend and I happened to get a giant pack of AA batteries. Make sure to check your batteries right now. If you do not have enough, get out as soon as possible to purchase them. I heard there is already a shortage on batteries and flashlights. Waiting the last minute is not going to be helpful to you in this situation!

As you can tell, my weekend is pretty much one big hurricane adventure for me. I believe in planning in advance. I would recommend everyone else doing the same. Also, I want to wish everyone on the east coast the best of luck in dealing with this storm. You might not hear much from me after Sunday. If I lose power, I won't have internet access. My butt is not going out of this apartment during Hurricane Sandy's visit either to find WiFi service! You won't see me go flying by your windows anytime soon!

Copyright ©2012 Jeannieinabottle