Well dear readers, unfortunately it’s that time of year again, the dreaded hurricane season. We’ve had our share of them, haven’t we?
    
As of this writing, we have two tropical storms churning in the Atlantic, on the way to Florida. Tybee can handle a tropical storm or two, but a hurricane is another story.
    
According to NOAA, they are predicting another active hurricane season, with 13 to 20 named storms, of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes, and of those 3 to 5 will be major hurricanes. Since we live on an island, surrounded by water, we should be taking this seriously.
    
Let’s start thinking about what we need to do, just in case. So, once again, I’m sharing with you a list of things that I feel is important:

1.    If there is a Mandatory Evacuation you need to LEAVE. No IFS, ANDS or BUTS about it. I’m sure everyone has heard the stories of the ones who stayed for Matthew and Irma. They are all downright frightening and I surely hope everyone who stayed has learned their lesson and will leave next time. Everything can be replaced people … except your lives.

2.    Take all important documents with you. This includes insurance policies, property records, marriage and birth certificates, passports, wills, health records and insurance cards, prescriptions, and last but not least, personal items that cannot be replaced, such as photos and letters.

3.    Secure your home. Lock doors and windows, unplug all electrical devices except for freezers and refrigerators, and secure lawn items. Things that you will not be taking, but are still important (I mean, you can’t take everything!) need to be off the floor, in case of flooding. I learned this the hard way.

4.    Have a plan of where you are going. Nothing worse than driving for hours looking for a hotel. Call ahead and make arrangements with friends or get reservations for a room. If you don’t have a car, you better make friends fast with someone that does. Also, please check with your neighbors who may need your help.