Little did we know this week we would be preparing for Hurricane Irma, right after watching out and praying for our friends in Texas who endured Hurricane Harvey a week ago.

Irma looks massive. So many people have left. So many people are staying. The streets are quiet, all shelves are pretty much empty with a few exceptions here and there. Most people have been pretty calm out on the street, which is great. People have been lining up for water, facebook groups have served as a means to share information and encouragement for those who are new to hurricanes.

I keep on hearing this is the first time people have seen such a massive hurricane about to hit Tampa. This is the first time we have witnessed fellow friends having to evacuate from Clearwater and St. Petersburg area.

While we are here at home, waiting, watching the news, homeschooling, we have also been preparing to face the hurricane.

First of all, we are praying. Praying hard the hurricane will loose strength and for people’s safety.

Secondly, we have been taking the necessary precautions to be ready for Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Essentials to Have at Home – Home Preparedness Kit in case of Emergency

The light can be used as a lantern when expanded or as a flashlight when compacted, making it a dual-purpose light. It also works for charging cell phones, using as a flashlight. It can charged with batteries, electricity, or SOLAR in case of power outages.
It is very light. Very easy to use. Just got it out of the box, plugged in, and that’s it.

I am glad we got it because it can help us charge our cell phones. It comes with a USB cord to charge, or it can get charged solarly. This light is VERY bright, it will light up a whole big room. It also has a button that allows you to set an intermittent light in case of emergency to let others know you need help. You can also use the energy from this lamp to charge a cell phone. We are really happy with this purchase!

Suaoki Led Camping Lantern Lights Rechargeable Battery

We got this large Brita water filter that comes with a dispenser. It yields 18 cups. We got this so we can filter tap water. The filter comes with it. Be sure to grab extra filters!

Brita 18 Cup UltraMax Water Dispenser with

This is a item we are going to be getting. I keep seeing to put important documents in the dishwasher, but honestly, i think having a water proof case is the best option for permanent storage.

Fireproof Money & Document Bag By DocuSafe

This is another item we will be getting to have for next season. Gas lines can be very long (or short!), but the scarcity of gas may make it more difficult to contemplate evacuating on short notice. I actually saw some people filling up their gas cans and thought that was really impressive. So definitely adding this item to my list to get ready for next hurricane season!

Briggs & Stratton 85053 5-Gallon Gas Can

In case of any emergency, I strongly recommend having a first-aid kit at home. We have one from Ikea, but if you don’t have a store you, this kit from Amazon looks just as good. it comes with 299 pieces. This is also really easy to pack and store in a suitcase in case of evacuation.

First Aid Only All-purpose First Aid Kit,

Homeschooling the Week of Hurricane Watch

Make a hurricane out of cardstock – draw a spiral on paper. The small spiral will be at the center which will become the “eye” of the hurricane. Really simple, great activity.

Notebooking – We watched a few YouTube videos and then the children did some notebooking in which they wrote in a sentence what is a hurricane, then they drew a picture.

Discuss Safety Measures – Where to go? What to do? Listen to phone alarms, check weather reports.

Write down lists – This was so important!!!

Things to pack
Things to purchase
Priorities

Most importantly, we discussed the importance of keeping CALM. In times when things go out of the norm, it is very important to pray, have a plan, and stay calm. God will guide our steps, every step of the way.