Preparing for Hurricanes

Posted by Joy Butler Aug 21, 2007

At one point, a few days ago, the US held its breath in anticipation of Hurricane Dean's wrath but instead, the storm hit the eastern coast of the Yucatan last night and is still battering the peninsula as I write. It's expected to emerge into the Bay of Campeche shortly and take aim at another Mexican coastline. As a hurricane veteran who has lived in a hurricane zone all my life, I was already pulling out my lists of things to do and take, should it become necessary to evacuate. I keep these lists from year to year, making updates as needed, and always make sure my dogs are provided for. It takes only a few minutes to grab their bowls, leashes, and medical records, along with a bag of food and a jug of water. They're already wearing ID and I always keep two crates in the van so all that's already taken care of. Currently none of my dogs are on medications but, in the past, I've had to pack meds. I rarely allow my gasoline level to fall below a half tank so that's pretty much taken care of too. The next thing is, where to go? One year we went to my daughter's near Dallas but that's such a long drive that I've kept other options open. However the fact remains, wherever I go, my dogs go too.

I hope other pet owners are prepared in the event of a hurricane or other disasters. If we aren't affected by Dean, the hurricane season is just peaking and there's always the next one. Don't wait until those last frantic hours; make your plans now!