Author’s note: While cold, calculated, political cynicism was in plain sight inside the Capitol beltway yesterday, something else was the focus here in the southeastern USA. We have begun reaching out to our southernmost island friends to offer them shelter. Many are waiting to decide as they put up their storm shutters today.

– Marlow

Bread, Milk, Toilet Paper

Yes, yes, yes. Everyone now knows — a killer storm named Irma is coming. Cue the rush to stock up on bread, milk and toilet paper at your local grocery store. In the Florida Keys, the rush was well underway yesterday. Those, who are stayers are adding beer, lots of it, to their supply list. Here in cocktail drinking Savannah, the Irma rush has not yet started, so shelves and coolers were full when I filled our larder yesterday.

In all seriousness though, there are some other important things one must have in an emergency kit to shelter in place. As someone who was trapped on an island by an unexpected southward turn of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, trust me. You don’t want to be sitting in your house like I was, thinking, “Oh crap. I should have planned better than this.” The island’s grocery stores and restaurants were indeed out of bread, milk and just about everything else for four days. I remember being happy as a clam at high tide after Katrina to be able to order a restaurant burger without bread, toppings or fixings along with some local wind dropped grille fruit as a side.

Honestly, as a sailor of the seven seas with one Cat 3 storm ashore in Hawaii, plus two Cat 4 typhoons in the Western Pacific and a huge North Atlantic storm at sea under his watchcap, I should have known better.

Should the center of the storm hit your area, common sense says to stay inside and off the roads during the event. This would seem like a no brainer. Sadly, every storm that hit Key West had more than a few beer-fueled numbnuts require first responder assistance while foolishly observing storm waves and surge at the Southernmost Point. Only in Key West did we have people hanging out seaside in the middle of a hurricane and getting wasted. I will never understand the allure of being repeatedly smashed by debris filled storm waves that always ended with a rogue wave picking up a soused observer and slamming him to the ground.

2005’s Hurricane Rita

One shou;d have an emergency kit that includes a case of water per person and pet, bags of ice to chill food in the event of a power outage, flashlights, batteries, an alternate means to cook food (charcoal or LP gas BBQ grill), perscription meds, emergency medical kit, and a filled up gas tank in your vehicle.

Experts say to have food and water for you and your pets for three days. Recent storms like Harvey tell me fove to seven day supply is a better level.

Make sure your vehicle’s window wipers, headlights, tail lights and turn signals are working properly. If you’re in a flood zone, have a plan to relocate your car on higher ground. Parking garages are the best bet.

My Keys storm experience taught me that duct tape, plastic sheeting and enough screws and fasteners for window storm shuttering are also must haves. Duct tape saved me from serious flood damage on the grade level, first floor more than once.

Lastly, bourbon, wine, chocolates and good steaks are fairly unknown yet very well appreciated storm supplies, that you don’t hear about, let alone see, in stores during and after a hurricane.

Underappreciated storm supply items

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