Preparing for Hanna

There are plenty of lists about what to do to get ready for a storm, assuming you are sheltering in place, not evacuating. Having flashlights, gassing your car, getting water and canned goods are all very important, but having been without power for 14 days after Isabel, I am going to share with you a few things you might want to do that probably not on any of those lists.

1) Do your laundry- If you end up with no power and lots of cleanup in the aftermath of the storm, you will be glad to have clean towels and underwear. We were lucky after Isabel that a friend offered to help by taking our laundry to her house which had power and washing it for us, but that was a very special friend, and I wouldn't count on that from just anyone.

2) Wash your dishes- Without power, you don't want to be stuck with a lot of dirty dishes that you then will have to wash by hand.

3) Clean out the fridge - If the power is out for an extended time the last thing you need is some two-week old leftovers or slimy lettuce in your fridge smelling it (and your kitchen) up!

Are there other suggestions you have for helping to shelter in place without losing your mind?