A Message to my Followers who are going to be impacted by Hurricane Florence.
This hurricane is dangerous.
Please, take it seriously.
It is not just a thunderstorm.
Take it from someone who went through Katrina and saw the damage a hurricane can do when it sits and builds.
It changes entire landscapes.
Get gas now. The gas stations will begin to either run out, or put a limit to how much gas you can get. Get it now while you can, because I remember distinctly the way the abandoned cars looked on the highway while we were evacuating.
Once that storm hits, the gas stations will shut down. There will be no gas for a week, at least.
You will be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Make sure your car is in good working order. The amount of cars left behind on the highway is astounding.
Bring your pets in case of flooding, don’t leave them behind or in a shelter.
Take a picture of every single thing in your house the way it is. Ever dresser. Everything. If it floods, this will help with the insurance.
Power will be out for a week, possibly more. Take anything that will spoil, eat it now/bring it with you/throw it out. You don’t want to come back to a house that is 80°+ inside with spoiled food. It smells disgusting. I know from first hand experience.
Pack as much clothes + whatever else you need as you can. You don’t know what you will be returning to, if anything at all. I hate to say it, but there were so many homes lost in Katrina in mg area to flooding & I didn’t even live in the Soup Bowl.
From what I’ve seen, the outer bands are strengthening. They’re red at this point. This hurricane is getting stronger, and it’s well built. There are no winds to tear it apart. It’s eye is holding together, and that’s terrifying. A well built storm like this one can ruin lives. It’s not a joke.
Please, please stay safe. Evacuate ASAP if you’re in the direct line.
Don’t wait until it is here. That is how you get killed. Do not evacuate in the middle of it. Don’t wait until last minute.
It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Listen to the news. Follow their advice.
Leave while you still can, before the highways get clogged up. Go as far in-land as you can. Leave the state entirely if you have to.
We did. And we still felt the effects of Katrina.
