I was out of town last week getting my daughter and her boyfriend moved cross country and into their new place on a small island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. It’s beautiful and feels similar enough to our coastal area here in California that we all thought it would help them to be less homesick than living in downtown, plus Sam is really not into living somewhere haunted which pretty much rules out all of Savannah proper. So Tybee Island was the choice and I spent last weekend getting them settled in before flying home around midnight Saturday night.
Cue Monday morning when we start hearing the first hints of the word “evacuation” and “hurricane” from her school. It’s the first day of classes and they’re asking her to fill out an evacuation plan. If it wasn’t so terrifying I would die laughing at the crazy shit that happens to our family. I realize it’s happening to millions of other families as well, but honestly… this is bananas. You’re already worried and conflicted leaving your kid at a college so far from home. I mean, they were a baby like 5 fucking minutes ago, right? How can they be 20 years old, you just potty trained them didn’t you?
So you leave your little tiny infant daughter on the other side of the country, 2000+ miles away and you fly home with terror and panic gripping your heart while you actively talk yourself out of what you know is not rational thinking. Kind of like when you take them to kindergarten the first day or when they have to get vaccinations and your mom instinct is to pick them up and run for the hills or alternately punch the nurse right in the fucking face but you know that’s not reasonable behavior, so you control yourself and you ADULT and you smile and thank the person who just stabbed your infant multiple times and you pay that person for doing the stabbing and you weep all the way home. Amirite? Oh, just me?
So anyway… imagine the horror of leaving your kid at college far away and less than 48 hours later there’s a freaking hurricane barreling down at them… news reports saying it’s the worst one in 30 years. Jesus, take the wheel here. No literally, take this wheel of a hurricane and spin the damn thing far away from my tiny precious little cherub. Which he seems to be doing (thanks Lord! and sorry Northerners no offense I didn’t ask him to aim it any particular direction I just said away from her).
Here are some storm tips if you’re a Californian like me and ill equipped that I have learned this week from doing my googles:
- Use a sharpie to write your name and number on pets that are not microchipped (like horses hooves) who could get separated from you in the chaos (we won’t judge you if you do this to your small children as well, I probably would)
- Keep your gas tank full and cash on hand to last up to a week or more (power outages mean gas pumps and ATMs won’t work- my kid did not realize this until I told her and FYI the gas station on her island ran out of gas two full days before the storm was scheduled to hit). Also a case of bottled water and some snacks like protein bars etc. and any medications
- Solar cell phone chargers and hand crank flashlights are game changers
- Listen to authorities and evacuate when told, stay in place when told, stay roads and beaches when told. Don’t be stupid. They are trying to keep you safe.
- If you have elderly neighbors or neighbors who are disabled, make sure you know what they’re plan is or who to contact on their behalf. We are all in this together. Help them board up windows and sandbag, don’t be a dick.
- If you have the ability to shelter a family, do so. Many families are displaced and cannot afford hotels, don’t qualify for shelters because of pets etc. so open your homes if you’re able.
