For months I planned to bring this topic back to the forefront of your minds no earlier than March 1 and was a little peeved last Monday, February 23, to find that Governor Perry designated that week as Severe Weather Awareness Week. It was just plain tacky (along the same lines as wearing white shoes after Labor Day) given many of this region are still dealing with Hurricane Ike’s aftermath. He swiped the boom from my clout, uh, maybe that should be cloud. Either way, uncouth.
Early last September, watching Ike stumble about, fairly convinced we were in the clear, I hatched out a brilliant evacuation/survival plan I’m certain will serve me well as I live out my years on the Gulf Coast. (I have requested Jeff provide retirement accommodations at least outside of the evacuation zones. At 38, I feel like I’m already too old for the hurricane business, and I don’t see myself handling it much better at 98. You do know 98 will be the new retirement age, right? It’s in the fine print of the stimulus package.)
Anyway, I withheld the details of my plan because upon my submission deadline we were preparing for certain devastation. Instead, I gave a pep talk of sorts. (If you guys could have seen me you wouldn’t have been pepped much. I was cowering in a corner, chewing my fingernails and babbling incoherently.)
WARNING: The following is solely for your entertainment. I have no special training or education in the areas of meteorology, public safety, or public planning. Please do not substitute any statement made below for your own well-thought-out plans.
With that requisite covering of my posterior, I’ll proceed without further ado.
A great deal of time was spent dissecting my storm fears as I found it necessary to determine the specific points that blew me into an unhealthy mental state. It was determined a thorough education on hurricanes was in order. I don’t harbor much fear in things I can wrap my mind around. Major progress was made as I researched surface winds, steering currents, how storms interact with various water temperatures and depths, and analysis of computer models.
Feeling empowered and armed with a great deal of information, I found a cure for what ails me: I will be evacuating my senses during the official hurricane season from June 1 through November 30. Envision one of those “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” statuettes. I’m in the process of devising a system that will alert me to a storm being in my general vicinity no more than 72 hours out. At that point only, I’ll ask for a report from the designated weather watcher: Jeff. I’ll do what needs to be done, but not worry over it one second before it’s time.
I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that the wall-to-wall coverage of a storm 10-plus days out from an unknown landfall was causing me to lose it. I’m a planner of the highest order and have done everything humanly possible to prepare. But listening to all the pontificating and “what ifs” does nothing except make me nervous.
I also learned on my journey to the center of my psyche, that it’s not the storms I fear, but rather the mandatory evacuations. Thank you, Rita. I know my home and my personal geography and have a good idea of what both can withstand. Yes, I’m aware I’ll have to live without running water and electricity . . . life throws far worse.
My evacuation plan isn’t suitable for everyone. So, get together with your friends and family and hash out what you’ll do. Start picking up supplies now. . . it’ll be here before we know it.
© 2009 Natalie Whatley
Tags: evacuation plans, hurricane season, preparing for hurricane season
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Enjoyed it!