A Wild and Wooly Hurricane Season?

The folks at NOAA (gurus with the federal government that make hurricane predictions) have reported that this could be the most active hurricane season in many years. Now, I realize that weather folks often hype things up a bit, but I don’t think this is the case this time. Whether it’s a crazy summer or not, why not be ready either way?

First, you need to have a plan; we always seem to have one, but no one writes it down. That’s not a plan. You need something written down. You need a checklist, and any Floridian can recite one from memory: batteries, water, gas, extra medications, etc. The problem is that when a hurricane approaches, we forget things. Worse yet, there is a last-minute run on everything. Why add to the stress? Why not do things NOW?

My pitch to you is to do three things, now, before the most active part of hurricane season: 1) Make some decisions about what’s most important, 2) Make a plan and write it down, and 3) Discuss it with your family. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just something practical, something that fits on a single page. Have a list of supplies (and get them now, of course), a “to do” list before a storm, and an evacuation plan. Just as important, know where everything is. Extra batteries are no good if you can’t remember where you put them, and if you can’t find your insurance policy, it’s just more stress you don’t need.

The truth is, we all know this drill, and those of us that went through Michael are very much battle-tested. Even so, those lessons tend to fade, and our memory may not work so well when we’re under stress. So, I’m asking all of you to think it all the way through ahead of time and to be ready well before Jim Cantore shows up on our beaches.

Just one more thing . . . please review your insurance policies. Ideally, go sit down with your agent in person to go through them. Update values, understand deductibles, and have a little chat about what you should do if you should have the need to file a claim. Better understanding now will lead to a much better outcome, no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. And it never hurts to cross your fingers and say a little prayer for a quiet season.