source
We’ve battened down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Florence. We’re 300 miles from the NC coast, but remember the damage from Hurricane Hugo in 1989 when it came ashore in Charleston and traveled inland to Charlotte, taking down over 80,000 trees and leaving us without power for a week.
According to the National Weather Service: Hurricane Florence is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge to portions of the East Coast, and life-threatening, catastrophic inland flooding due to exceptionally heavy rainfall, damaging hurricane-force winds and deadly surf and rip currents this week.
The Category 1 hurricane made landfall at 7:15 a.m. ET near Wrightsville Beach, just east of Wilmington. With its crawling pace, it looks like we should feel the impact of Florence here on Saturday with heavy rain, winds and possible tornadoes.
I’ve made at least a dozen trips to the grocery store this week in preparation for Florence, buying essentials like water, batteries, nonperishable food. Trips number 6 – 12, I blame on watching too much Weather Channel / Florence coverage. My hurricane essentials on my last trip. . .wine, flowers and heirloom pumpkins that had just arrived at Publix. ;)
We have our water, devices charged, extra batteries for flashlights and battery operated candles. Duke Energy sent out crews this summer to cut trees and limbs threatening power lines. We’re one of three houses on a power line on the edge of the county, so when we lose power with a wide-spread outage, getting it restored is a low priority for the power company.
To keep myself occupied with the power out, I have my Kindle Paperwhite charged with books downloaded, which doubles as a nightlight/flashlight in the dark.
I’m keeping my Kindle (along with my cell phone) on airplane mode to save power. The Wi-Fi/3G remains active even when your device is asleep with the screen saver on. Just like a cell phone, your Kindle uses more power trying to access a weak signal.
An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
You can find safety tips from the American Red Cross on Power Outage Safety, HERE.
Stay safe! Keep us posted! We are all thinking of you.
I’ve been thinking about you, Mary. I see that you’re well prepared with all your supplies, and your Kindle ready to read. Prayers are with you. Stay safe with Gracie and Lola! ❤️
Thanks, Mary for the update. I have been wondering how things were with you. Stay safe. Praying it will not be as bad as anticipated. You sound prepared. Keep us informed if you can. Prayers for you and all affected.
What’s important at your grocery store makes my heart sing!
My prayers to you and all that are in the path of this deadly storm.
Take care, Mary. Here’s hoping for the best…
Stay safe Mary…We went through the exact same procedures one year ago with Hurricane Irma here in SW Florida. We were lucky to have a generator, but just after the Captain sat down to relax after hooking the generator to TV,Computers, AC, Fridge and freezer….our electricity came back on. LOL We were more fortunate than most…so we started helping those with electricity needs by loaning everything we had, from prepared food to water, etc.
Prayers that no lives are lost.
Kari@meandmycaptain
Stay safe! I live in Florida & was without power for over a week last year with hurricane William and in previous storms up to 2 weeks. I am on a grid with about 35 houses that always gets power restored last. Your tips are excellent – I always do the frozen bottle trick as well – it such a perfect solution when no ice is available & you end up with nice cold drinking water. I love your last shopping efforts – can’t have too much wine haha. Thinking of you and hope you weather the storm without much damage.
Sending prayers your way! Stay safe!
God bless you all, we are worried for all those in the wake of this storm. Your suggestions and advice are just what we all need to Prepare for whatever weather related problems we are bound to face.
Stay safe up there. Sent from north central Florida!! Nice to see y’all are so well prepared.
Stay safe Mary. Thoughts and prayers for all of you!! xoxo
Stay safe, Mary! I’ve been praying for all of you! <3
Stay safe Mary. You have prepared and hopefully it won’t be as bad as predicted. Praying for all❤️
Praying for you & all who are in Florence’s path! I love your supplies from the last store run. I do understand about watching the Weather Channel’s storm coverage – there’s a lot of info. I woke up feeling exhausted almost as if I had been prepping for Florence – I went to sleep with the Weather Channel & woke up with it! Thank you for all of the good info you provided in your post. Stay safe along with Gracie & Lola! May the Lord keep everyone safe! Love, hugs & blessings!
Stay safe! Thinking of you and praying for safety.
Sending good wishes that all will be safe with you and those all around you in these hours ahead. Posting so many good tips is so thoughtful of you. We do not always know when emergencies strike, and you never know when your advice might come in handy for someone. You are a good woman, Mary!
I like your shopping bags filled with all the essentials! . And yes, watching the Weather Channel can make you a little stressed but it encouraged you to be prepared. And you now have a Black Belt on how to prepare for this kind of emergency! Stay safe!
Will keep you in our prayers Mary. Looks like you’ve made all the preparations…so loved your basket photo 😁
Praying that you and yours stay safe, warm and DRY. Good luck. Glad to see you have plenty of water and WINE!.
Uuugh my Cavalier King Charles hate getting her feet wet too! Sending prayers and positive vibes so that you are all safe!
Stay safe, and I hope y’all don’t lose power!!!
The frozen bottle water is a great tip. Looks like you are prepared. We are down near Wilson NC and are now under a Tornado watch. We are getting heavy rain with wind and the worse is yet to come. Praying all is safe! We have huge pine trees behind and side house. Already lost one large limb but thank God missed house. Keep us posted on your safety.
We are as prepared as we can get here in Greensboro.I like your tip about freezing the water bottles. Getting ice can be a problem during a storm. Sometimes I think the bottles water companies sooner the weather channel!! I can only look at so many empty shelves☔ You really made we want to check out Publix for pumpkins. Are you able to save your volunteer gourds? Staying inside is hard on our dogs too.
Stay safe ,dry and may the power stay on.🌇
Mary so glad to see you are prepared, your cart has all the essentials. The stores here were out of ice for two days no deliveries were made so I filled gallon Ziploc bags with water and put in the freezer should we lose power. So far so good here, still have power. The river is up about a foot, not over the dock but surge not predicted until later when we get the back side of Florence. Newborn is about an hour south and the news from there is not very good. Will be thinking of you tomorrow as the storm moves your way. Hope you have puppy pads for the doggies, I don’t want to go outside either.
Hi Virginia, I hope you’re tucked away safe and staying high and dry. The ziploc bag with water is a great tip❣️💦💨🌊
All the best will be praying that there will be no loss of life material things can be replaced stay safe xx
Sending many prayers heavenward (barelling bravely right THROUGH the storms!) for your safety and for all in the hurricane’s path. XOXO
Praying for your safety and all of those in harms way.
I am thinking of you and hope you don’t have any damage- water, wind, or any other. Stay safe and keep those fur babies safe, and I hope they are not stressed. We live in Kansas and our volleyball team was supposed to be in a tournament in Greensboro this weekend. The games got moved up here so UNC Greensboro girls volleyball will be safe in Lawrence, Kansas this weekend.
A quick tip for fur babies that don’t like the wet. Take a child’s plastic swimming pool, sprinkle the bottom with water, and line it with pieces of sod. Put it in the garage for your babies to use. It will last the couple days of storm time. We went without power 10 days after Irma. Prayers for your safety!
I hope all are safe and well! Where are you located? I am in Thomasville NC, and so far it has not been bad here. I have been watching the deer and their babies in our back yard eating the morning glories. 😊☔ I love your site! 💚💋
Thank you Cheryl, we’re on Lake Norman, not far from you. Just a lot of wind so far, it’s moving so slowly. Take care and enjoy your deer watching❣️🦌💨💦
I put my bottled water in the freezer before the storms. It helps to keep my freezer cold and my water cold when the storm comes in and the power goes out. I live on the Gulf Coast so I really feel for you! Stay safe!
Prayers with you and your family.
Praying you just get a nice soaking rain to prepare your property for a fabulous spring. Stay safe and enjoy that last basket of groceries! That little one is too adorable!
Thank you Donna❣️💦🌻🍷🐾
Good luck to you and everyone else affected by this storm. It sounds like you are well prepared. Thanks for reminding us of the Waffle House index. Sending prayers for everyone in Florence’s path.
You are well prepared and God be with you.
Thoughts and prayers go to you and all in the path of Florence. I remember Hugo…my parents’ home in NC was affected by trees falling in the yard and one almost hitting their house! Please let us know as soon as you can how you fared.
Sounds like you are well prepared and good tips for any emergency. Stay safe!
Stay safe. We will be thinking of you.
Thanks for the “Waffle House Index” info! My husband grew up in Alabama. We travel the south and he always wants to have breakfast at a WH, but I had never heard this. :-)
Our hurricane preparations were much more practical–we got CHAMPAGNE and flowers and pumpkins. :D
Really, that’s all you need, besides some dog food!
I like your hurricane preparedness Susie! Stay safe❣️ 🍾🥂🌻🐾🐾
You are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe. It looks and sounds like you are well prepared or as well as you can be. Dealing with Mother Nature is sometimes risky. God be with you
I see you are well prepared. It’s important to plan ahead. Once power is gone, one’s life of comfort is greatly reduced. The Waffle House Index is funny. It’s pretty errie when a town shuts down.
Stay safe and keep those puppy paws high and dry!
Yes, I’ve been thinking of you, Mary! And my sister (also a Mary) stayed put in Beaufort! She will get the storm tomorrow probably. We will probably see the rain into Mon-Tues. The media coverage is a bit overdone IMHO. Nonetheless, I empathize with all those who will sustain water damage and loss. It’s frightening. Take care.
Hope all remains well in your area and that you do not lose power.
Lived through hurricane Hazel but not comfortably. Thank you Jesus that Florence was downgraded to a category one. We were without electricity for weeks no running water and our mother had to be hospitalized. We used kerosene lamps and a wood stove and I was 12 and my sister was 16. That Old saying “what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger” is very true. Its something I never want to experience again. We were in the eye and after the eye passed the winds were even stronger. I saw building being blown away right in front of my eyes and men holding in the windows to keep them from caving in. We could feel the floor lifting and settling back down. And if you had never prayed you prayed to God to be saved. We are so blessed Florence was downgraded.
Hi Alice, My mom grew up in Wilson and remembers Hazel. It must have been terrifying before we had all the warning systems we have today. Stay safe❣️💨💦🌊🌪
You are prepared but I’m still worried sick about you and your pups!
❤️Jenna
Prayers sent for all may God wrap his arms around all and keep each safe
I will be thinking of you and hope you stay safe. As well as all those others that may be in the storms path. I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada and we don’t get hurricanes. But through your wonderful Home is Where the Boat Is that I enjoy so much, you seem like a friend to me. Take care and I will be reading you blog and hope you are safe.
Prayers for safety! I have two children in Columbia and a daughter with a husband and little ones in Charleston. They’ve all been through Florida hurricanes and know the drill. I always felt more comfortable, however, when they were under my own roof that might blow away! Trying to entrust them to God’s care!
Thank you Rhonda! You’re a hurricane veteran. I hope your loved ones stay safe in the storm❣️💦💨
I pray that you, your husband and fur babies stay safe as well as any other family in your area.
Thank you Melodie❣️🐾🐾
🙏🏻🙏🏻 prayers for everyone’s safety! Stay safe!
Know you will weather the storm in your usual style. Hoping for sustained power and no damage, though the babies may have to suffer wet feet!
Thank you Kaye❣️💨💦🌪🐾🐾
Praying for you and all those being affected.
Hoping that all is going well for you, Mary…
I see you’ve stocked up well Mary:@) Stay safe and take care!
Prayers for you and all in the path of Florence.
Marilyn,Joan and Marion
Thinking about you, Mary & praying you & the Mister as well as the pups are high & dry. {{{HUGS}}}
Thank you Rett, I think about you every time I see a beautiful quilt on Pinterest. I hope you’re sewing up a storm❣️💨🐾🐾
Your shopping cart cracked me up, especially the pumpkins! Gotta love it! Really liked the idea of freezing bottles of water, so smart. Hope your new roof stays put and no damage to it, your house, pontoon boat and no loss of lives for anyone. Glad you are so prepared, smart lady! Prayers being sent for you and all our southern states. Keep us posted on how you are if possible, you know we will all be waiting anxiously to hear. Love ya, girl! And of course those precious fur-babies. God bless!
Thank you Cyndi! So far just some wind. Florence is moving very sloooowly, but I’m watching the pontoon swing on our lift this morning {gulp}. Hope you’re enjoying some beautiful fall weather in Michigan❣️🍁🌻🐿🎃
Mary. Didn’t read all the comments, so not sure if this was mentioned. I went thru several hurricanes and always filled my tubs with water for extra water for whatever. Stay safe and hope you don’t have too much damage.
You are well prepared, stay safe!
Stay Safe!
~Mary~
Prayers for you !!
Paula
IN
Thank you Paula❣️
Stay safe Mary!!! Your grocery cart looked like mine!!! Wine , flowers and love that Publix has heirloom pumpkins for a great price!!!…We have been fortunate so far that we have not lost our power…hope that keeps up! I can imagine you and the girls with Wellies.
Great minds shop alike Shirley, glad you have all your hurricane essentials too! Stay safe❣️🌻🍷🍁💦💨🌪
Prayers to you, your community, and all those in the storms path. I hope all remain safe and get through this without harm.❤️🙏🏼
Thank you Ann! I hope you have smooth sailing and calm seas on your lake. 🌞⛵️🚤⚓️
Wishing you and yours the best. Take care. Keep us informed. Prayers for all.
I am not sure you have enough Wine! I love your priorities!
That made me laugh Gail, thank you 😀🍷💦💨🌊
I hope you stay safe.
Prenez soin de vous et de vos deux petites chéries.
Bon courage .
Merci Granny 35 🐾🐾
Essentials are a must…and you definitely have the right ones🍷🍷🍷🍷!! We are praying for all along the East coast. A person also needs respect for Mother Nature..after being hit by two tornadoes, my respect for Mother Nature increased immensely…therefore, when the sirens go off or the weatherman says get to a safe place, we do it!! Safety also for those two precious fur balls!! Will be thinking of you! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🌊💨
Thank you Ellen❣️🍷💨💦🐾🐾
Good luck and God Bless…will be in my prayers…from Florida.
Been thinking about you all day, hoping all is well in your Household!
Thinking of you and yours. Please stay safe.
Thoughts and prayers for safety. Take care.
Stay safe! Don’t believe the weather channel all the time. They like making everything sound worse than it really is. I caught one of the reporters and I put it on facebook acting like he just could hardly stand up and two kids walked normal behind him. Now I have NO faith in the weather channel. Please be careful! Prayers for you all.
Prayers for all in her path.
Thinking of you this morning as we are getting the brunt of the remnants of Florence, still quite a lot of rain will come today and likely into tomorrow. We are also rural, and not a priority for the power co, so a few years ago after a 5 day stint with no power (and no water as we also have a well), we put in a big generator. Now at least I’ll be able to cook on small appliances, have coffee, have water, and be able to sew if it goes out. Stay safe, and sending good thoughts to everyone affected by Florence.
Prayers for your family, neighborhood and everyone involved.
Hope you are safe, and dry—or at least above water. Great tips for all…for emergencies.