With Irma—and her tropical storm boyfriend, Jose—looming around the corner and South Florida being sent into a state of emergency, people are starting to panic about supplies and preparing for the worst. Whether you’re a native to Florida with parents that just don’t care or a tourist that has gotten caught in the worst of Floridian tragedies, these tips will help beat the hurricane.
News: There's a hurricane coming
Floridians: 🆒🍹no worries
News: It's a category 5
Floridians: pic.twitter.com/jb6jGKVfB4— Shelby Burns (@ShelbyABurns) September 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/eleiv__/status/905235595613667328
https://twitter.com/NihilistTeen/status/904836225030389760
The most obvious tips are to stock up on water, food, and charge all devices that can be used in case of emergencies (or extreme boredom). However, the first two are incredibly difficult to fulfill the closer the hurricane gets.
South Floridians are cheap. @FIJIWater #irma #irmageddon pic.twitter.com/08UphftpR7
— KRISTEN HEWITT (@kristenhewitt) September 4, 2017
Floridians panic-buying these things today…#FLPrepares pic.twitter.com/ZUYW4PlKMl
— ABG 😼🇺🇸☕️🇬🇧🇺🇦 (@gibbsbklyn) September 7, 2017
Simple solutions are to fill up jugs and other containers with tap water—it is still safe to use tap water—and buy frozen foods that can be made quickly and stored at room temperature before the storm hits. Portable gas stoves, found in most camping stores or departments, are also an easy way to have access to heat for cooking.
Devices are the trickiest part of surviving a hurricane, especially in this new age of dependence on technology. Everyone knows it’s important to keep devices charged, but they often forget to think about what happens if there’s no power for more than a day; some batteries are durable but they won’t last a lifetime.
No devices and being confined to the same four walls with the same people can be a daunting thought, but it is the perfect opportunity to discover some new hobbies and explore other forms of entertainment.
Board games are the most common solution for hurricane-induced boredom. They offer a chance to bond—or go to war if you’re playing Monopoly or Uno—with family and friends on any occasion, especially the gloom and doom days of natural disasters.
No one can play board games forever and some games are pretty short-lived to begin with. The next solution is to read a book. With nothing else to do, way too much time, and a desire to be isolated from annoying housemates, picking up the brand new book that’s been collecting dust for the past few months is the greatest way to say “Help! I’ve reached peak boredom and I’m about to go insane.”
However, if being away from an electronic device is truly harrowing for the soul even when there’s no possible way to achieve a measly bar of service, or it is needed as a form of communication in an emergency, there are ways to bring electronics back from the dead.
The most obvious way is to keep portable chargers around with a full battery life. Portable chargers are available for purchase in almost every department store or pharmacy, and the cheapest ones can typically hold enough power to fully charge up to two phones. However, a phone’s battery life isn’t eternal and neither is a portable charger’s power.
Batteries, used for flashlights and other hurricane necessities, can also be used to charge phones. Twitter user iliany (@ili427) posted a quick how-to video on charging a phone with a 9-volt battery, a vehicle charging port and a coin or paperclip.
https://twitter.com/ili427/status/905446170792792065
When push comes to shove, Floridians are some of the toughest people in the country. In the face of a life-threatening hurricane and governor Rick Scott calling a state of emergency, they are still able to laugh through the pain and come together to celebrate hurricane parties and the sense of community that comes from preparing for a hurricane. It always seems like others are more concerned for Floridians than Floridians are for themselves.
https://twitter.com/hskaytarp/status/905855115634073600
CNN: Irma is now a Category 5 hurricane.
Floridians: A little sprinkle of rain isn't going to stop us pic.twitter.com/YUowUSzAD8
— toothless taylor (@toothlesstater) September 5, 2017
"Governor Rick Scott declares state of emergency for Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma"
Floridians: pic.twitter.com/KjvyalUXde
— kate (@kateray_) September 4, 2017
https://twitter.com/MegaSeating/status/905858021422718977
