Hurricane Survival

We are in the midst of hurricane season (June 1-December 1). And we just had a close call with a category 4... way too close for my comfort, thank goodness for the wobble. 

Because I have hurricanes on the brain, I thought I'd share some preparation tips and thoughts for you. Maybe something here will come in handy for the next time. 

Shop Wisely

Sandwiches, fresh fruit that could hang out on the counter, hot dogs for the grill, and don't forget the paper plates!

We try to always have several cases of water at the house. But, when a storm is in view, I like to grab an extra or two. And I get a couple gallon jugs too. 

In 2004, our section of Florida got hit repeatedly by storms and I realized what a commodity milk is. It took at least a month for milk to reappear in the store coolers. This time I made sure to have two extra gallons on hand. 

It is impossible to know how long the power will be out when a hurricane (or tropical storm) rolls through. So, make sure you are stocking your kitchen with items that do not need to be cooked.... or things that can be cooked on the grill. I made sure the freezer in the garage was full of meat (we could thaw and grill chicken, burgers, hot dogs, even steak). I also ordered a lot of lunch meat. The plan was to keep the lunch meat in a cooler, with the bread and condiments. Remember, it's best to keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible when the power is out. A cooler is excellent for things you want to grab multiple times. 

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