How to survive a hurricane is with preparation. But how do you prepare when you've never been through this type of disaster? We live in Indiana. In Indiana, we have snow storms, tornadoes, floods, and droughts. We never have to evacuate. We hunker down and wait out a storm. So when the locals on Saint Simons Island Pier start talking about a storm surge with raging winds blasting Saint Simons Sound, we pay close attention.
A hurricane is coming
Monday began as usual; Honey went fishing, and I stayed in and worked on a post. At noon, I walked to Saint Simons Pier, and Honey greeted me with a solemn look.
"What's wrong? Fish not biting?" I teased.
"We have to talk when we get to the house," he said.
"Give me a hint." I'm not a patient person; I want to know if something is wrong, ASAP.
"Hurricane Matthew. It's going to hit Saint Simons Island. They predict winds more than 100 miles per hour with a tidal surge of 8 to 10 feet at high tide."
I certainly wasn't expecting this. "What are we going to do?"
"Right now we have to think seriously about evacuation. The guys say that they're advising a voluntary evacuation, for now, but it may get to be a mandatory one."
Evacuation! What do you do? How far do you go to escape the ferocity of a storm? Is there a pamphlet on how to survive a hurricane?
How to survive a hurricane, decide to evacuate
On Tuesday we watch and listen to every weather report. We hope that the storm will alter its course. Nope! It's coming here, without a doubt.
On Wednesday, we resolve to leave. Hurricane Matthew is due to hit on Friday; we can't wait, or we'll never find a place to stay. We buy bottled water and wine. Yes, wine. The storm is kicking us out of our house, but we aren't going without some amenities.
We pack enough clothes for four days ( I take a little extra, I always do). We pack all of our electronics and leave everything else at the house.
How to survive a hurricane, prepare to evacuate
On Thursday, we pack four leftover grilled chicken thighs and six hard-cooked eggs in the cooler. Thank goodness Honey thinks of them because they save us from going hungry (Restaurants and grocery stores are closed). We also take peanut butter, tortilla wraps, bananas, granola, crackers.
We pack a flashlight, extra batteries, toilet paper (we prefer our brand), paper towels, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, bottled water, wine, plus two wine glasses. 🙂
I stash Honey's crossword puzzle book, two fiction books for me, some important papers I didn't want to leave behind, all in my huge black canvas bag. What we don't pack, and should, is proof of residency for our rental. Luckily, I have a bill from the newspaper with our Saint Simons address in my purse. Later we discover that to get back on the Island at phase 3, you have to show proof of residency.
Before we left, food, water, batteries were some of the suggestions we heard from the locals on how to survive a hurricane.
How to survive a hurricane, hunker down
On Friday, we are glued to the television in the motel, watching the storm ravage the Florida coast. Jacksonville and St. Augustine are pounded by violent winds and angry waves. We know our turn is coming.
All we can do is hope and pray that the tempest will turn and not hit us full force.
We eat our last two chicken thighs and drink our glass of wine. We're grateful for all that we have, but after two days of cold food, we crave a hot meal, especially soup.
Soup means home; soup means comfort. We dream of soup.
We go to bed listening to the storm's fury. What would we find tomorrow?
Dreaming of Delicious Homemade Soup
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- Chicken Minestrone a rustic Italian soup
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- Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo with Brown Rice
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- Spicy Chili with Pasta
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- Hot and Sour Soup - Spicy Comfort Food
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- Sheepshead Chowder with Dill
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- Old-fashioned Beef and Barley
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- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
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- Butternut Squash Bisque with Bacon
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- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
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- Pasta with Beans {Pasta e Fagioli} with thyme and rosemary.
The Sound and The Fury Life After a Hurricane {next post}
Here are some more travel adventures
The Sound And The Fury Life After A Hurricane -- surviving a hurricane and the struggle to get back to normal.
It Started With A Pelican-- the misadventures of the first day of fishing.
Arrivederci Venus Florida-- leaving our winter home is bittersweet.
Arrabbiata Sauce - Smokey and Spicy Classically Italian - The sauce we discovered in a small restaurant on Lake Lugano, Italy.
It's always the people we meet that makes a place special.
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Un caro saluto e alla prossima!
Adriana Lopez Martn
I live in Florida and I always live terrified of hurricanes. We have experienced already six in the last 15 years in this area and it is not fun. I am glad you are ok.
Marisa Franca
Well, Adriana, this was our first hurricane and hopefully the last. When we're in Florida it's not hurricane season although we've had terrible winds -- apparently, a tornado did hit a few miles away from us and there was quite a bit of damage. We're on the Gulf coast, how about you?
Agness of Fit Travelling
Useful and practical tips for every traveler, Marisa! Stunning pictures by the way!
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Agness! Have a great weekend.
KariAnne Wood
Can't wait for the rest of the tale! So happy you are safe and that you packed food! I wouldn't have even thought of that!
karianne
Marisa Franca
KariAnne, you may not have packed food, but craftsy you, would have thought up some darn great ways to get around the inconvenience! And if you and your family would have been with us we would have shared 🙂
Ciao Chow Linda
Well, that was a cliffhanger. Can't wait for part two, but at least if you're writing this post, you're ok.
Marisa Franca
You're right, Linda! We did make it through but it wasn't without its challenges. I bet the wedding was gorgeous!
Reid
waiting for more story.............:)
Like how you tied the soup recipes in!
Marisa Franca
Thank you! The conclusion will come this week and WE are CRAVING soup. That will be first on our agenda once we get home.
Chiara
oh my God, what a terrible moment ! I hope is better now, I saw on tv the disasters, un abbraccio
Marisa Franca
Ciao, Chiara! Everything turned out all right although we were very uncertain for a time. Un abbraccio forte!
Rosemary
So glad you made it through safely Marisa, I can't imagine how scary a hurricane must be.
Marisa Franca
Hi, Rosemary! It's certainly an experience we don't want to go through again.
Jovina Coughlin
This is a great post Marisa. I really enjoyed reading it.
Marisa Franca
Thank you, Jovina. I certainly didn't want to bore anyone with our tale of woe 🙂
Susie
Thank the Lord, you're ok and safe. We're sorry you had to go through this terrifying experience. We feel bad for those who lost so much. Glad it's over and hopefully, you're back to fishing and a relaxing routine. Much love and prayers,
Susie and Gary
Marisa Franca
Hi, Susie! Yes, we are all right but it sure was scary and trying to our patience. We are grateful! Love to you and the family!
Diane P.
Ok.....no fair stopping right in the middle of the exciting part!!! How am I supposed to wait until you finish your story???
Marisa Franca
Well, I didn't want to bore anyone with a long tale 🙂 It started on Monday and didn't finish until the following Tuesday. I'm glad it kept your interest. Abbracci!!