I’m not sure there’s a perfect way to prepare for a storm like Sandy. However, I’ve been interacting with my friends on Facebook who are in the storm’s path and I’ve gathered some interesting ideas.
Here is our priority list for hurricane preparation:
- Clean the house. As my friend Amy said, “I do not want to be stuck in a house full of dog hair.” I am using the lazy approach of a cleaning service who is cleaning as I write. But, the goal is the same. If we’re going to be stuck, we’re not going to be stuck in dust balls and animal hair.
- Buy batteries. I don’t know that I’ve ever had to replace a battery during a storm, but I now have enough batteries to light up a small village. I have C’s, I have D’s, I have AA’s. Hey — I just realized that battery sizes are similar to bra sizes. I’m suspecting a male marketing group.
- Call the kids. Whether they live in your house or across the country, if you have kids you want to talk to them. My daughter recently moved to New York City, so I called her several times yesterday. My conversation usually consists of “Did you buy batteries?”
- Stare at the generator. My husband and I purchased a generator after Irene sent a tree through our house and we were without power for more than a week. My brother-in-law and nephew set it up for us, because they are tremendously useful. My husband and I are not useful, so we’re mostly just staring at it.
- Get Benadryl for the pets. A friend of mine just let me in on the secret of Benadryl. Put one mg per pound of animal and you can help them sleep off the storm rather than pacing around like an expectant father. Once you give the dogs the Benadryl you can chug the rest yourself and sleep until the hurricane passes. Of course, if you do need to evacuate, you’ll have to explain to the fireman why you fell asleep on the sidewalk as you were walking to your car.
- People Magazine. Maybe this is only on my list, but I have found that if you start reading about the lives of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, suddenly the hurricane doesn’t seem so bad.
- Hand fans. Whether it’s a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon or a funeral fan with the picture of Jesus knocking on a door, remember that when the electricity goes out your hot flashes don’t.
Please do not consider this as an official list for hurricane preparation. It’s just we many of us Dames are doing. Feel free to add anything that is part of your natural disaster preparation!