The calm before the storm

Friday night, I watched the 10:00 news, and there was a mention of a "tropical depression" in the Gulf of Mexico. Saturday, we went grocery shopping, and thought, "Maybe we should get some water and canned goods for Hurricane season. Nah." My mind briefly flashed to that news bit about the "depression" in the Gulf that "could" develop into something. I should have listened to my instincts.

Last night, I watched the news, and, lo and behold, there is a "Tropical Storm" named Edouard in the Gulf. How quickly these storms form! I quickly started thinking about how and when we should get supplies. I didn't want to go last night because I was too tired. If I waited until after work, it would be too late. I wouldn't have enough time during lunch. So, the only option I had was to get up early and shop before going to work.

I got up early and went shopping at the crack of dawn. The stockers had just stocked the shelves, so I had my pick of the crop. I went straight to the water aisle and loaded up on water. Then I headed to the canned good isle and loaded up on canned goods. Next, I went to the battery kiosk and got some batteries. I got in line and was out of there within 15 minutes.

I'm glad that I went this morning. I had to run some errands at lunchtime, and I passed by the store that I was at earlier, and it was already packed. I saw boats being pulled down Hwy 6 from the coast. But in all of this hype that the media is creating, no one here is panicking, and no one I know is evacuating. This isn't a Katrina or Rita kind of storm. This is a storm that you batten down the hatches and ride it out. People were conducting business as usual. In fact, it was hot (close to 100 degrees) and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. If I hadn't been paying attention to the news, I would not have even suspected that a storm was coming.

After work, I had to deposit a check in the bank, and the bank was crowded. People were starting to panic. They were taking out large amounts of cash "just in case". The grocery store next to it was swamped with cars, and every person that I saw coming out of the store had water in their carts. I left to go home, and the parking lot at the Home Depot near my house was crowded. People have heard about the storm , and they were looking for supplies.

I'm supposed to still report to work tomorrow. A lot of businesses are closing tomorrow, but the school district that I work for has decided to stay open. The students don't have to report, but the employees are expected to come in. With everyone else closed tomorrow, they may decide to close all together, but they probably won't make a decision until morning. I'm going to get up and watch the weather, and if I still have to report to work, I'm going to see if it's possible for me to get to work. If not, I won't go in. I will not risk my life just because my employer won't shut things down.

Since we moved into a house, we now have the task of removing any loose objects outside around the house. (They can become missels). We also had to tape up the large windows. Ah, the joy of living in a house.

I just heard on the news that the shelves are empty of canned goods, water, batteries, and flashlights. I'm glad that I went this morning!

If I have electricity, I'll let you know how we weathered the storm.