How to Prepare for a Tropical Storm..or NOT

How to prepare for a tropical storm as told by a person with no experience preparing for a tropical storm aka me.

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• Step 1: Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy, I take shower, watch the news, I’m ’bout to take this city.
• Step 2:  Really listen to the news and realize oh crap we are expecting a tropical storm….today. Wonder why I didn’t know about this yesterday before I traveled back to Houston from Dallas last night.
• Step 3: Call mom and husband to determine if I should be concerned about approaching storm. News anchors seem pretty level headed, mom is in an uproar as usual and husband says it’s just a severe thunderstorm, so no worries!
• Step 4: Decide after watching the traffic report that everyone else in Houston seems to be going on about their Monday morning as usual so I might as well follow suit. When in Rome, right?
• Step 5: Arrive at work excitedly because I only have 2 days left at this job and I really like my coworkers. All my coworkers are present and seem unfazed by threat of approaching storm.
• Step 6: Mention the storm to 4 of my coworkers and realize none have a clue to what I am talking about.  Me thinks maybe that’s not a good sign.
• Step 7: Around 11am hallways on campus become chaotic and noisy. Coworkers come to my office to tell me we are having an emergency faculty meeting. Second in command cancels all classes from that point until Wednesday (tentatively) and tells us all to go home because the storm warning has gotten serious.
• Step 8: Come to the realization that this storm is probably way more serious than I initially expected! Collect my belongings, clock out, and hug all my coworkers goodbye as I realize that this may be the last time I work with them if the school remains closed for the rest of the week.
• Step 9: Google how to prepare for a tropical storm. Look on the FEMA website for emergency preparedness information. Read the pamphlet and then question whether I should follow their advice because the organization doesn’t really have a great track record when it comes to preparation. I digress.
• Step 10: Hop in the car to go to collect items listed on the pamphlet along with food and paper products.
• Step 11: Listen to my mom and friends freak out after hearing the weather report for Houston in their cities and try to reassure them that I will be okay staying at home during the storm.
• Step 12: Go to Sam’s Club for water and snacks. It’s a madhouse. Makes me question whether I want to stay in the city now that everyone appears to be a little anxious.
• Step 13: Drive home to look at the updated weather report…AGAIN to make an informed decision as to whether I should stay in town or pack a bag and drive somewhere away from this madness. Decide I should be okay at home.
• Step 14: Do a little more grocery shopping at Kroger. Go on the hunt for D batteries for my flashlight. Apparently everyone else had the same idea! No D batteries to be found in my community.
• Step 15: Finally track down some D batteries and duck tape at Walgreens. Answer questions about the storm for employees in the store. Walk outside and the floodgates of heaven open as to give me a little preview of what we can expect a little later.
• Step 16: Come home, move all outdoor objects into garage. Prepare food, emergency kit for tonight. Talk to family and pray that I made the right decision sticking around to meet Bill.

Days like this really make me miss my husband. I hate when he is away on business. Please keep me and citizens on the coast of Texas in your prayers as we brace for yet another storm. Flooding is inevitable and our last flooding event did not have a great outcome. Hope you all are doing well. Life update coming soon. 🙂

Stay inspired y’all!

Brittany