Stocking up for hurricane season
on George Hamilton (Jamaica), 03/Jun/2010 12:46, 34 days ago
Hurricane season officially started on 1 June. Hmmm, this means we have to make sure we have our hurricane emergency kit in place. We can't run away and hide in the country during a hurricane like we did when the gang violence erupted in Kingston two weeks ago. And this is supposed to be an extra active year for hurricanes.Last night at supper with Candas and Alastair after our weekly swim at the Pegasus Hotel, the topic of hurricane preparation arose. Alastair suggested we needed to have a 3 week supply of food and water. He knows what it's like first hand not to have water for months on end (their situation was worse than ours), and we've all been experiencing 2 hour power failures for no apparent reason lately. I'd only heard supplies were needed for 3 or 4 days and we were in fairly good shape for that because when I was buying groceries, I often would bring home a few cans of tuna and baked beans and other items I wouldn't mind eating cold for a few days. But 3 weeks is a bit more daunting. We'd need greater variety and a lot more food and water. Much more! As it turns out, we're good for supplies. We're registered with the Canadian High Commission for emergency purposes and I received an email saying we only need 72 hours worth of emergency supplies, so we're ready.Alastair's 3 week emergency plan was food for thought. When we were visiting with Ruth and her brother Rod, up in the Blue Mountains, Rod told George and I about the time 10 or 11 years ago when he and his neighbours were trapped on the mountain for 3 months after a hurricane without electricity or water and with the roads washed out. I think he said he bought a generator after that experience. We won't be buying a generator but we can ensure we have enough to eat and drink and we do have all the other supplies recommended on the emergency kit lists - baby wipes, check; candles, check; large flashlight, check; battery operated radio, check; spare batteries, check.Hmmmm, I wonder if I can get a battery for my computer that lasts 4 days - our current one lasts one hour! Now that's scary.Photos fromhttp://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/hurricane.html