Hurricane Irma is Coming! What Do I Do?
In September 2017, I was sitting in my living room when the news confirmed what I’d been dreading: Hurricane Irma was heading straight for my part of Florida. We had a few days to prepare. I’d lived through storms before, but this one felt different. The forecasts were ugly.
I’ve written about disaster preparedness in my book Real World Survival. Here’s what I actually did when a category 3 hurricane was bearing down on my home.
First, I checked my county’s website. Every county has specific instructions for hurricanes, including evacuation zones and routes. I entered my address and confirmed I wasn’t in an evacuation zone. Even so, I memorized the evacuation routes. Hurricanes are unpredictable. A storm can shift, and suddenly you need to leave.
The Basics: Gas, Water, Food, Cash
I filled the gas tanks on all my vehicles. I keep them at least three-quarters full year-round for exactly this reason. When a hurricane is announced, gas stations get mobbed and sometimes run dry. Don’t fill random containers with gasoline. The fire risk isn’t worth it.
Next, I checked my Go-Bag, a duffel filled with survival supplies that stays packed and ready. I replaced out-of-date food and medications. If you don’t have a Go-Bag, make one. You won’t have time to assemble supplies when a storm is twelve hours away.
I bought enough food and water to last two weeks. After a major hurricane, you might not have electricity for days. Stores might be closed or stripped bare. I stored water bottles on wooden shelves, not concrete floors. Chemicals from concrete can leach into plastic bottles over time.
I withdrew $100 in small bills. ATMs go offline when the power does. Give every adult family member cash, and make sure kids have a few small bills too. When electronic payments don’t work, cash is the only option.
Communication and Protection
My family made a plan. We decided where we’d meet if we got separated and how we’d communicate if cell service went down. I explained everything to the kids so they understood what was happening and felt like part of the team instead of just scared.
I bought a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and charged it fully. The idea was to use it for recharging phones when the power went out. I also visited the pharmacy and refilled any prescriptions with less than two weeks’ supply. Pharmacies allow early refills when a disaster has been declared. Use that policy.
I walked around my property and removed anything that could become a projectile. Trimmed nearby trees. Checked that windows and doors were secure. Board up windows with plywood if your home needs it.
Stocking Up
I arranged for Sparkletts to deliver six 5-gallon jugs of water. I also bought large bottles and a case of small bottles earlier in the week. Water is the most important supply. You can survive without food for weeks. Without water, you’re in serious trouble within days.
For food, I stocked canned goods, crackers, peanut butter, and other items that don’t need refrigeration. I checked expiration dates and chose items that would last at least six months.
I ordered batteries from Amazon: a 100-pack of AAs and 12-packs of Cs and Ds. I had eight rechargeable flashlights plugged into wall sockets, plus a dozen regular flashlights scattered around the house and a couple of camping lanterns.
My computer files were backed up to the cloud through BackBlaze. I also kept a physical hard drive backup at home. Before the hurricane, I updated that backup and stored it in a waterproof bag.
After Irma: What I Learned
Hurricane Irma hit Florida hard. I’d prepared well, but the storm still taught me things I hadn’t anticipated.
The biggest surprise was the power grid. I didn’t expect Irma to knock out electricity across most of Florida. Our area was lucky. Power came back after two days. Other regions waited weeks. In Florida’s heat and humidity, losing power isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s dangerous.
My UPS plan failed. Those units deliver full wall power regardless of what you plug in. They drained within an hour or two. Not nearly enough to keep phones charged for days. Next time, I’ll get a proper solar charger or generator.
Everything in my refrigerator spoiled. I’d moved cheese and lunch meat to the freezer before the power died, and those survived. Everything else was a loss. If you know a storm is coming, eat what’s in your fridge first and don’t buy perishables.
Lessons Learned
A neighbor told me to park away from trees. That advice saved my car. Branches came down all over the neighborhood. A stronger storm could have dropped entire trees on vehicles parked in the wrong spot.
Supermarket shelves were empty for days before and after the storm. Canned food, bread, crackers, water. All gone. Early preparation is the only way. By the time a storm is two days out, the good supplies are already taken.
The boredom caught me off guard. No internet, no TV, nothing to do. The heat and humidity made everything worse. I read on my Kindle until the battery died, then switched to paperback books. Next time, I’ll have more entertainment options that don’t need electricity.
The storm brought the neighborhood together. People who’d never spoken started talking, cooking together on grills, helping each other out. That was the one good thing about the whole experience.
Cell service was spotty for days. Traffic was a nightmare because the traffic lights were out and some drivers apparently forgot how four-way stops work.
Credit Where It’s Due
Duke Energy restored power to our area within 48 hours, even though over 80% of the county was dark after the storm. That’s impressive work under brutal conditions.
These are the lessons I took from Hurricane Irma. The point isn’t to memorize a checklist. It’s to think through what you’d actually need if the power went out for a week and the stores were empty. Preparation doesn’t guarantee safety, but it improves your odds.