One time, I woke up with no power in the middle of a dark and stormy night. My phone, my laptop, and my tablet were all either dead or close to it. My usually 65 degrees bedroom was so humid, I had to lie face down on the cool hardwood floor. The only way I could see on this terrible night was whenever a flash of lightning would light up the room.
At the time, I didn’t know that my power going out wasn’t due to a spontaneous hurricane that I was shockingly underprepared for. I was panicked the whole night, and I was convinced that the storm would never go away. I was doomed to never feel the sweet breeze from my three fans ever again.
Hurricane Prep
This was a wake-up call for me. As a person who doesn’t charge their phone at night and regularly lets it die, I finally realized that this wasn’t the safest idea. As someone who owns awful chargers, zero flashlights, and pretty much no useful tools for a hurricane, I realized that I needed to be more prepared in case of an actual emergency.
I thought it would be a great idea to share some advice and tips that I could have used in that situation with everyone who may find themselves in a similar one. The best advice I got was to make an emergency kit.
Here are some helpful things to keep in yours.
- Good Charger
-
This is probably the most obvious one, but I still failed to do it. The charger that I was using that fateful night, in the kindest terms possible, sucked! Instead of doing its one job, charging my phone, it left my phone dead and unresponsive. So, when I was woken up that night by the rapid increase in temperature in my room, my phone was at 4%.
Despite charging it for most of the night, it was still basically dead. If this were to happen during an actual emergency, like a hurricane, I’d be in a pretty bad spot.
A working cell phone is a necessity these days, and it would be even more important when you’re in an active hurricane. You’d be able to see all updates concerning the weather, and when you may get service, power, or anything that the hurricane may have torn down or knocked out. Don’t skimp on a charger as I did; sometimes the more expensive one is worth it.
- Power Bank
-
For many of the same reasons above, a power bank would be extremely useful during a mass power outage. A power bank works the same as an outlet and charges your phone if you plug a charger into it. Though, unlike an outlet, a power bank must be charged, or else it won’t work
- Battery-Powered Fan
-
We live in Florida, and I don’t want anybody to stick their head in their freezer because that’ll make anything in there go bad. A fan is probably the best thing you could do for yourself in the hot, humid climate a hurricane creates. I have one that also sprays water on your face; it’s very nice.
- Flashlight
-
When the power went out in my apartment, I couldn’t see anything. I kept stumbling over myself until I remembered the book light I’d bought for some midnight reading.
However, this product is quite small, and the light is very, very dim. An actual flashlight would’ve prevented me from bumping into my bed and managing to get a huge bruise on my leg.
- Food & Water
-
At the time my power went out, I only had perishable items. I didn’t have anything that didn’t need to be in the fridge, so if this outage was prolonged indefinitely, like in a hurricane, I would have probably starved.
I recommend always having something easy to make that doesn’t require refrigeration, like canned soup or rice. This will prevent you from opening the fridge and letting the cold air out. It will also keep you satiated in a time of need.
Also, always make sure you have water. It serves a lot of purposes when the power is out, not just keeping you hydrated, which is important. You need water for tasks you don’t even think about, like brushing your teeth and cooking. Make sure you keep jugs of water on hand.
- Something For Entertainment
-
As a person who gets bored quite quickly, I recommend that you buy some books or coloring books or anything that doesn’t need power to be useful. If you do choose a book, I also advise getting a booklight; the battery usually lasts a while, and they’re quite useful. Just make sure you have enough to keep you entertained for an indefinite amount of time; you’ll probably know what’s best for whatever keeps you amused.
That’s all for my list! These are all the things that I believe are necessary for a great, or better than terrible, hurricane experience. We know there’ll be one; it’s just a matter of where and when. All that we can do is prepare. Hurricane season has officially started, and no one in Tallahassee needs a repeat of Helene.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!