Our first major storm has arrived. Tropical Storm Isaac is headed towards Florida, and while not expected to wallop my area too much, it does remind me it's time to prepare. Having been through a season of horrendous hurricanes, I've learned it's no fun. Mostly. It's kind of cool standing outside and let the wind whip my hair around, and wild weather certainly inspires me to write, but the lack of electricity, air conditioning, and income is pretty awful.
I hope for another year of mild storms, but just in case, here are a few items I must have in my emergency survival kit:
Batteries and a flashlight: I have to be able to see where I'm going in the dark, especially the bathroom, and I have to be able to read.
Books and Kindle: See above. No electricity means no computer access, television, or work, so it's a good time to catch up on my reading.
Candles: They create a lot of heat, so flashlights are my preferred choice of light, but a few candles in the house creates a nice atmosphere.
Water: For the obvious reasons, of course. It's too easy to get dehydrated in the heat, especially when we turn to drinking alcohol as a means to cope with boredom and stress.
MP3 player: It doesn't take long for me to reach the point where I need to tune the noise out. You'd think it would be quite without electricity, but...
Ear plugs: Everybody and their brother crank up their generators. Those suckers are loud! I need lots of peace and quiet, and many hours of sleep.
Sleep: For some reason, when under stress, I want to doze off. It made going through Army basic training a challenge!
These are the basics. If we get terrible weather, we'll survive, as always. My goal is to keep my sanity, and make the time as comfortable as possible for me and my loved ones.
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