Right, Hurricane Paula. That name brings back some memories. It wasn’t one of the monster storms you hear about all the time, but when a hurricane is potentially heading your way, you pay attention. I remember tracking it for a few days.
First thing I did was check the usual news channels. Saw the forecast path, looked like it might brush close enough to cause trouble. You get that little feeling, you know? Time to stop watching and start doing.
My Hurricane Paula Checklist – Getting it Done
So, I started going through my usual hurricane prep routine. It’s become second nature after living in areas prone to this stuff, but you still gotta actually do it.
- Supplies Check: Went straight to the pantry. Checked the water bottles – had a decent stash. Looked over the canned goods – beans, soup, tuna, that sort of thing. Enough for a few days if needed. Very important: batteries! Dug out the flashlight, tested it. Tested the battery-powered radio too. Found some extra batteries, made sure they weren’t ancient.
- Yard Cleanup: Walked around outside. Anything loose got brought inside or into the garage. Patio chairs, garden gnomes, trash cans – you don’t want that stuff flying around. Didn’t need projectile gnomes breaking windows.
- Car Prep: Drove down to the gas station and filled the tank right up. Learned that lesson the hard way years ago. If the power goes out, pumps don’t work. Plus, good to have a full tank if you suddenly need to get out of dodge.
- Cash Money: Swung by the ATM. Pulled out some cash. Same reason as the gas – no power means no ATMs, and sometimes card readers go down too. Cash is king in an emergency.
- Windows and Doors: Checked the storm shutters. Made sure they were working okay, ready to be closed up if the forecast got worse. Double-checked window locks.
- Important Papers: Gathered up the key documents – insurance papers, IDs, stuff like that. Put them all in a big ziplock bag, then put that inside a waterproof container. Kept it near the door, easy to grab.
After all that running around, it was mostly a waiting game. Kept the news on low, watched the updates. Talked to the neighbors over the fence, saw they were doing similar things. There’s a bit of comfort in knowing everyone’s taking it seriously.
As it turned out, Paula didn’t hit us directly. We got some heavy rain bands and pretty strong winds for a while, made the lights flicker, but we dodged the worst of it. Felt pretty fortunate compared to some other areas that got hit harder.
But you know, even though it wasn’t a direct hit for us, going through those preparation steps is never a waste of time. It reinforces the habit. You can’t get lazy with these things. Every storm is different, and being prepared just makes sense. It’s practical. Better to have done it and not needed it, than the other way around. That’s my take on it, anyway.
