Hurricane Season is Almost Here

I'm in the middle of project today. I've got to go through our emergency backpacks and cycle the food, plus figure out what else needs to be put in there. I never really prepped them adequately, so it's going to be a bit of a job. It does, however, need to be done. Hurricane season is nearly here.

Luckily, the Bahamas is rarely hit, but it happens enough that I know we need to be prepared. While there is a chance we will have to weather it here, most likely we would end up evacuated if it was going to be a direct hit. Or at least, the boys and I would be sent off-island. Oliver would probably have to stay through it.

So, keeping that in mind, I've had to prepare a little differently than I would have before. I've got two backpacks, one for me and one for the boys' things. I have a separate bag for Oliver. I'm packing not only food and the usual emergency things, but with the idea that we will be leaving. So, things like our rarely used laptop are being thrown in, and I'm going keep a list of what would have to be thrown in last minute so we aren't scrambling too much if an evac order is made. His is also heavier on things like a camp stove and fuel than our backpacks are because of the different circumstances we will face if things go bad.

Here's the thing, though - emergency preparedness overwhelms me a tad. Not because I'm scared about whatever may come and this makes me think about it, but because it just seems like this huge job that I can't wrap my head around. There are a million different lists about what you should have, and they are all a little bit different. Then there are issues like, how can I possibly pack my kid's favorite toys when they are constantly used?

I'm determined to make myself finish, though. We got lucky last year and only moved to a condition 4 once, which basically meant we had to pick up outside things and stow them. The hurricane completely missed us in the end. Who knows how it will play out this year. I'd prefer to be overprepared than caught scrambling.