Patti M. Walsh

Come to think of it, Ben Franklin had it right. “By failing to prepare,” he said, “you are preparing to fail.”

How do you know that summer has arrived in Southwest Florida? Snowbirds fly north. Daytime temperatures creep into the 90s. Afternoon thunderstorms dump an inch or two of rain. And eyes turn to the tropics in wary anticipation of the hurricane season.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, although tropical weather outlooks begin on May 15 or as necessary.

According to The National Hurricane Center, “hurricane” comes from the indigenous Taíno people of the Caribbean’s Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), who worshiped the storm deity Juracán, a derivative of the Mayan god of wind, Huracan.

The current convention of naming hurricanes is quicker and less confusing than the previous latitude-longitude method. For Atlantic hurricanes, the names repeat every six years, unless a storm is so extreme that future use would be inappropriate.

The following names will be used in the North Atlantic in 2025: Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy. If there are more storms than names, as occurred in 2005, letters of the Greek alphabet are used.

Get Ready

As a master of wit and wisdom, Benjamin Franklin once advised, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

While living in New Orleans, Bob and I learned the first sign of a pending hurricane is not the tracking lines in the Gulf, but the snaking lines at the gas pumps. He insists on keeping at least a half tank of gas in the car at all times for convenience, maintenance, and unanticipated escapes. Go fill your tank now. And while you’re at it, get cash to keep on hand. ATMs, gas pumps, and credit cards don’t work without electricity.

Ready.gov, the official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers recommendations for preparing for, responding to, and mitigating natural and manmade disasters that can be applied to anything from a Godzilla attack to the Zombie Apocalypse.

Think Godzilla

When the prehistoric sea monster Godzilla is awakened—often with no notice—he wreaks havoc by annihilating buildings, roadways, communication networks, and electricity. As you rush to join the screaming masses of frantically fleeing people, don’t forget your Godzilla bag. That’s what Bob named the satchel we can grab and go if we need to get the hell out of Dodge. Okay, so I’m mixing movie metaphors, but you get the idea.

If you already have an emergency kit, this is a good time to update it. If you don’t, it’s a good time to assemble one. Start with your paper records. While you don’t want to give anyone easy access to your entire life, you don’t want to be a refugee unable to withdraw money from your own bank because you can’t access your digital account.

Use a fireproof, waterproof bag. Here’s what should be in it, in individual, sealed plastic bags:

• Cash
• Bank account numbers
• Copies of Social Security cards, birth and marriage certificates
• Copies of your will, power of attorney, and advance medical directives
• List of prescriptions
• List of contacts
• Computer passwords
• Children’s health and school records
• Pet photos and information

Stash the Godzilla bag into an easy-to-carry container, like a Homer bucket or duffel bag. Into it, add other emergency items:

• First-aid kit (pain relievers, bandages, and a topical antibiotic)
• Whistle
• Alcohol wipes
• Tissues or paper towels
• Non-latex gloves
• Water purification tablets (Ready.gov recommends bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water)
• Paper and pen/pencil
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Face masks or bandanas
• Toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs
• Prepackaged eating utensils (the kind you get with take-out)
• Small packets of Tabasco (a tip of the hat to a Louisiana friend, who says you never know what you may have to eat)

In the car, keep:

• Blankets
• Phone chargers
• Flashlights
• Small tools, like needle-nosed pliers
• Maps
• Water

Ready.gov recommends one gallon of water per person per day for a minimum of three days, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food (granola bars, peanut butter, tunafish, dry cereal), and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.

If you have pets, make sure each one has a separate carrier. If they sense panic, you don’t need them attacking each other.

Whew.

Now that you are prepared and your Godzilla bag is packed, sit back, relax, and enjoy the pending summer.