Scarlett

I should have realized when the super market was so busy that something was afoot!
On the car radio I heard that the Governor had declared a State of Emergency for all of Florida because we have not One but Two! hurricanes bearing down on us.
We have groceries and food and books, Pup has plenty of Pigs Ears, so I think we will be fine.
What do you do when a Hurricane, Blizzard, Big Storm is forecast for your town?
Do you worry? Get excited? Are you prepared ahead of time or do you rush out to the stores?
Stay safe, all my friends here and on the islands!!

iceeu2

You evacuate when they tell you!

Just where are Bonnie and Charley headed?

GoTravel, are either of them headed your way?

seetheworld

Quick, run, hurry, GET milk! This is what WE do, especially during the winter season because 'they' (and you know who you are) are ALWAYS predicting the "big one"

Seriously, hope things go well in your neck of the woods.

tpatricco

What to do? STORM PARTY!!

Prepare your basic essentials. Water, flashlight, candles & matches & some snacks. Make sure there's gas for the generator in case the power goes out. Make sure the outdoor furniture is safe in the garage!

I thought of you Scarlett & the rest of the Fodorites in FL as soon as I heard the predicted track of the storms. Sounds right now like they won't be extremely severe, just alot of rain & some wind. Batten down the hatches, and stay dry! Trish

Anonymous

I wash my hair and do laundry, cuz if we lose electricity that's what I'll miss.

Here in Boston, our supermarkets are always mobbed if a storm is predicted; bread and milk shelves are cleaned out. Are there really that many people who don't have a few days' worth of food in the house? Even after the huge storm of 1978, when the roads were officially closed and highways and business shut down for a week, the supermarkets were open in a couple of days.

Anonymous

Oops, hit "post" too soon,

My niece in FL keeps a week's worth of food & bottled water in her garage, calls it the hurricane stash, but sometimes the food expires before she remembers to use it up and replace it with fresh.

Good luck to everyone down there, we'll be thinking of you.

Judyrem

Scarlett: I just did a grocery run here in the FT. Myers area. It was a steady stream of folks, nothing outragoeus IMO...not as bad a snowstorms up north. We are supposed to be very close to Charlies's (he is already a Cat 1)landing, so my DH is running around putting all our outside stuff in the garage. We are heading over to FLL tomorrow to deliver some stuff for our new house. We are debating on whether or not to stay an extra night there. Scarlett, I think you will get both,,,Bonnie first, then Charlie...Bonnie will miss us, thank God. Hope you are ok there....I hope we ALL are! Stay safe Floridians! Judy

Blacktie

Hurricane/watch toward lower keys, eventually out near Daytona ... heavy rains. The ashore again in SC. The other, still a tropical storm, up the gulf toward the panhandle. Some riviera red necks are going to get wet! Funny, but Jeb must think it's an election year.

Tennischick

In my (much) younger days when I lived in the southeast, we'd organize hurricane parties!

All of you in the path, stay safe!

JohnD

Don't bring back my bonnie :-"to me

http://www.theteachersguide.com/Songs/my_bonnie_lies_over_the_oceanmy_.htm

amatters

In Pa we have gotten used to the blizzards, so instead of buying milk and bread like the rest of the Pa Dutchies, i go for wine, cheese, and other yummy items. Theres nothing better to do during a blizzard then snuggle up to the one you love and have a glass of Chalbis

Vicky

Hello from Sarasota, FL. I've been here for 21 years, no hurricanes hit, thank God. Some close ones but it always turned. I believe Sarasota has' protection' kind of like Sedona, AZ - the natural beauty and concentration of arts means the place is at a higher vibration. Anyway, am hoping my luck holds a few more months cause I'm selling the house and moving. I dont' believe in sending out MORE negative vibrations with fear and panic, so I stay optimistic but minimally prepare casue I've found when you do have a back up plan, you usually don't need it. But at work, we're all checking the internet weather sites for the updates. We're calling them bonnie and Clyde! Turn turn and go out to sea!!

AHaugeto

Aaargh. Aargh. Aaargh.
Scarlett, you asked what do we do for hurricanes?

I am Always. Scheduled. To Fly. Somewhere.

This time, I am due to take not one but TWO BLOODY TURBOPROPS from Providence thru Philly and finally to Salisbury, Maryland where I was hoping to hang out at the beach in OC with my family for some much needed R&R.

And now I suspect it will rain all weekend too. If I even get there with the eight million flight delays and what is sure to be a queasy ride.

I swear, everytime they say one is coming up the east coast it is because I booked plane tix! To all those fodorites in Flaarda, Georgia, on up to Boston, please accept my apologies. The next time I fly during hurricane season I will warn all ya'll to stock up on milk and TP...

Oh well. Seriously, though - Good luck down there! I hope all of you stay safe and sound.

hibiscushouse

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the Fl. Keys, MM 72 (below Islamorada) and Key West.
We've been evacuated for lesser storms, so I went ahead and did my shopping and took it straight over to my brother's house on the mainland. Saves the trouble later.
Brought in the furniture at the condo, will secure the boat at the house, empty the porch of stuff, lock up and leave if they tell us to. Hope for the best.
We were evacuated during hurricane Elena back in 1985. Hurricane sat off the coast for 3 days, never making a direct hit. They kept us off the beach for an additional two days b/c of the damage. Was a long 5 days away from home.

Austin

Definitely make sure you have plenty of wine, cheese and...hmmm. Can't think of anything else. Oh, maybe a baguette or two or three.

placeu2

Why is it that people immediately think of Milk in these situations? I read that there is no milk left in stores when people across the nation are shut in for whatever reason. Is milk that valuable to that many people? Yes I know about children but come on now.

By the way, I have family members that have dairy farms so I am all for bigger sales but I stil don't get it.

Just curious.

seetheworld

Paceu2, didn't ya know...
"milk, it does a body good!"

Ya need it in your coffee, for making hot cocoa, cereal, for baking when there is nothing else to do. It also has an expiration date - so if your milk is on the 'verge', you must run and get that fresh milk! And like you said, kids, for the most part, drink lots and lots of it (mine included)

Brian_in_Charlotte

There's always those idiotic reporters live at the checkout lines of the supermarket reporting that the biggest sellers are bread, milk and eggs. Of course, if you look closely at the carts behind him, they're always full of beer.

SuzieQ

I understand the evacutation in the Keys is only for people who are not year round residents and for the visitors there.

GoTravel

Fill the bathtub up with water so you can flush the toliet in case they turn the water off.

Flashlights and batteries. We use candles but you could burn your house down and emergency response will not send a crew to your house.

Battery operated radio. I cannot stress this enough. In 1989 I was in Myrtle Beach for Hurricane Hugo. Up until 9PM we had power and everyone was saying we were going to get a direct hit from Hugo. After we lost power, Hugo made a sharp left and made landfall at McClennanville. We did not have contact with the outside world for about three days. No power or cable.

Lots of nonperishables like peanut butter and jelly, beeforoni, etc.

Booze. Hopefully, the storm will head out to sea and all you will get is a snow day. Since we live in the south, we don't get snow so no snow days. Everything shuts down and we call them snow days.

On the serious side. Take the evacuations seriously. I've been stuck in one hurricane and never again. I'll stay for a Category One but I'm the heck out of dodge anything closer.

We live on the beach and I've seen the damage hurricanes can do. The biggest myth is that people inland are okay. Not true. The tornados and flooding are the worst part.

If you are under a mandatory evacuation, head out. If you stay you chance being arrested for endangering the life of a civil servant.

I haven't checked the latest but I'm sure we'll get messy weather from Bonnie.