2007 Hurricane Season: Preparation, Hindsight, and a Little Humor

Florida is one of those places where we take the good with the bad - for every beautiful day at the beach, for every fab shopping trip to Bal Harbor, for every minute spent strolling the sidewalks of South Beach, there is a downside. Between June and November, our fantastic Florida lives are threatened by the presence of hurricanes. Having been through a few hurricanes, from Frances to Wilma, I can tell you that a hurricane and its aftermath is no walk in the park. The terrible events that followed Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast are still with us - and many of us Floridians think about a disaster of that magnitude in our own backyard every day. With some preparation, some hindsight, and a little humor, getting through the hurricane season can be less terrifying than it really is.

When Hurricane Frances meandered around in the Atlantic for several days in 2004, our lives were literally turned around. When we're told to stock up on food, many of us automatically go into Beanie-Wienie mode. We buy tons of canned food and bottled water and prepare to be without power for days. So Frances made a beeline for the Southeast Florida Coast and then slowed down to four miles an hour. The whole area was already under a hurricane warning; businesses, restaurants, and stores were buttoned up tight. So we sat, eating canned ravioli and wishing we'd bought some better food. I have a colleague who cooks everything in her freezer before the storm arrives. Her generator powers the refrigerator, and her outdoor grill is used for heating. As far as food goes, be sensible in preparing for no stove and no dishwasher. But plan ahead for being trapped inside when you do have power.