How To Hurricane in 4 Easy Steps
I admit it. I’m going a little stir crazy.
It’s hard being away from home in a hurricane – not just because of worrying for my family and friends, but also because…well, I’ve been riding out storms since I was a kid. It’s weird not being there. Hurricanes, for all the Big and Scary they can be, can be fun.
Thankfully, we have the internet!
I present to you, Manda’s Digital Hurricane EXPERIENCE.
WATCH!
OBXCams.com has a lovely selection of webcams set up from up and down the Outer Banks that will stay on as long as they can throughout the storm. I personally am tuned in to the Ocracoke Airport Cam, watching the ocean get stirred up already. I’ve seen those waves in person, and they are awesome in the truest sense of the word.
LISTEN!
Nothing like an eclectic variety of music paired with real time calm storm updates from locals riding out Irene on Ocracoke Island. Certainly beats listening to the fire and brimstone and smooth jazz of the weather channel, right? Tune in to Ocracoke Island’s own WOVV FM - live! Online! They will broadcast as long as they can with their generator – enjoy!
FOLLOW!
Are you a twitterer? Plenty of folks back home are riding out the storm and will be tweeting as they can. I suggest keeping an eye on my parents, @reelbuzz and @mommarific, friend and bookstore owner @BooksToBeRed, of course @WOVVFM. You can also follow @jasummerell, who’s always on top of things out in the Raleigh area, and @DinahMoeHumm, who’s in Texas but an islander at heart.
TRACK!
Tracking hurricanes is neat. You can see where it’s going and where it’s been. Google “Hurricane Tracking Map” and print one out, grab some colored pencils/pens, and start plotting out the coordinates. The best place to get Hurricane information is always NOAA.gov - they update every three hours with new coordinates and wind speeds and a new graphic to show you where the beast is headed.
Hurricanes can be scary, but like blizzards or any other “large” storm, the best thing to do is bunker down indoors with a good book, stock up on water, and wait it out. Hopefully those of you not at the beach can check out some of these ways to get the real “hurricane experience,” and those of you back home stay dry as long as you can! We’ll see you on the other side!
I’ve got 200 pounds of ice, both my battery packs charged, jeep gassed up with 1800 watt power inverter, mini power inverter to plug into battery packs for small stuff, lots of batteries, flashlights, candles, food, beer, wine, cat food, outdoor shelter fixed for Ocracats, some new books, and a lot of faith.
May the force be with us.