Hurricanes....

Since moving to Florida I have developed somewhat of a fascination with hurricanes, and I don't mean the University of Miami Football program, although granted there's probably something to be said for fit young athletes running around a football field....my husband would kill me though if I wasn't cheering for the Gators, http://www.gatorzone.com/.

No I mean the blow you away, massive storms that hit the south eastern US, Caribbean and Mexico .The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall (autumn) months, but basically we're in it now...

To anyone from the UK who is not used to such huge weather formations (although my family went though the The Great Storm of 1987 which had hurricane force winds - read about this Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Storm_of_1987 )the thought of a hurricane is an extremely scary prospect. Vivid in all our memories are the scenes from New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina) and last year Galveston (Hurricane Ike). Those cities had mandatory evacuations and still people chose to stay. It focuses the mind....what would I do in a hurricane situation?

Hurricane Katrina...simply huge

As Florida residents we are reminded each year to be hurricane prepared.... to know our evacuation routes ( I see them posted on I95 each week - the route out of Florida into Georgia).. but many are complacent, especially with a major storm not hitting Florida in the last few years. We should be hurricane prepared... although Fema's advice to 'Consider building a safe room.' seems a little out of most peoples budgets!

So this year I am trying to ready myself for hurricane season. I have my plastic box full of essentials - from tins of food to a first aid kit, extra gas for the barbie in case we have no power for days and it's the only way of cooking, and I'll make sure I have a battery powered radio and a car charger for my cell phone...oh and lots of water!... I have bookmarked the National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml - and I obsessively look everyday to make sure nothing nasty looking is starting to loom.... I don't worry about them, but I don't want to be one of those people corralled into a football stadium with nothing...fingers crossed Central Florida will escape any major damage this year too.

So you've cancelled your summer holiday to Florida now!! don't despair, the sun shines all year here! and don't worry about Gary, he says he'll be OK as long as he has his chewy stick