Codder

Preparing for Beryl and her minion

All this weather business makes me think we've been pretty lucky on old Cape Cod. Soon Beryl will be whipping our sand dunes and salty air into a frenzy. Gee, I hope the power doesn't go out and I have to miss work tomorrow.

Anyway, since the devastation of Katrina I've given more thought to the sheer violent and unforgiving power of Mother Nature. Just think about how we got walloped during that quickie storm last December.

If Mother Nature wants to whup you, she's gonna whup you. You just have to do your best to be prepared. And lots of people (blowhards and experts alike) seem to think we on the Cape are due for a big one.

I'm not loaded, so I don't own a home at risk of slipping into the Atlantic. But there are some other things to consider. To that end, I am assembling something of a hurricane/disaster/bad storm preparedness kit. When I mention it to folks, the reaction I get can run from a smirk to outright laughing.

Okay, let's be fair, I can be a bit superstitious and paranoid but I don't think it hurts to be ready. And yes, if anybody who knows me is wondering, there will be crosses and holy water in the kit to stave off vampires and their ilk. C'mon, we've all seen "Omega Man" starring Mr. Charlton Heston.

I just don't think "oh that will never happen here" cuts it anymore. So recently I have acquired a few items all of which will go into an airtight tote in the basement.

• a battery-operated weatherband radio--good in a storm when the power (and cable) go out. The weather part is important because you can't rely on the local radio stations. During that December storm, most local stations kept playing crappy pop on a loop as if nothing was happening.
• a flashlight that does't require batteries. Mine you just shake. Some have a crank. They even make crankable all-in-one radio flashlights.
• a plain old-fashioned phone. Not cordless, nothing fancy--something that plugs into the phone jack and doesn't require electricity. You'd be surprised how many people don't have one. And, of course, keep your fingers crossed that the phone service stays on.
• a battery-operated cellphone charger. Cellphones are great, if you can get reception and if you can charge them.

The items above will be stowed away with plenty of drinking water, batteries for other flashlights/lanterns, candles and some canned food--lots of Beefaroni for the S/O. I'm looking into MREs, but I know that will get everybody really thinking I'm nuts. Oh, it's good to stash away a little cash too, in the event the ATMs don't have power or the bank goes offline. As this is Cape Cod, some may want to stash a flask in the box too--bringing your friends Jack and Jose along never hurts.

Outside, not a bad idea to have a small portable gasoline tank (in a safe place, of course) and enough charcoal or propane (I always have two tanks going) to cook. That is if your grill doesn't blow away like the cow in Twister.

If we do lose power tonight, or any other night this summer, I've got a deck of cards, a good book to read and the portable DVD player charged. The portable DVD player came in handy during that December ice storm. The S/O and I took it out to the car, cranked the heat and watched "Mad Hot Ballroom" in front of the house. Hell, it was a lot warmer in the car than in the house that night! And if you have kids, you best ask Cape Mom what to do with the little buggers.

So, better safe than sorry, I guess. I hope Beryl blows by, waaaaay offshore and that we make it safely through this hurricane season. But just in case...