Hurricane season is upon us and nothing worries us more than to think our readers are out there in the world, unprepared for a hurricane.

That doesn’t fly in our book, which is why we’ve gone ahead and created our own list of things every writer should do when faced with a hurricane.

1. Buy Supplies Early

Food, water, flashlights, medicine, batteries, personal items, whatever it is that you need, buy it and buy it early.

And make sure you buy enough for at least 3-5 days per person, plus your pets.

Not only does it give you one less thing to worry about the week of the storm but purchasing these necessities little by little gives your wallet a break.

And trust us, your wallet and you will appreciate this in the long-run.

2. Get Gas and Take Out Cash Immediately

Waiting in line to buy supplies is bad but waiting in muggy, hot or rainy weather to get gas is worst.

The smell of gasoline, car fumes, and the crowd of panic-filled people fighting to get every last drop of gas in their car is enough to have anyone run for the hills.

But, you can’t, because you need gas.

The moment your local weatherman/woman mentions a hurricane will be hitting your state in a week or less, go gas up.

Remember to get a full tank of gas; who knows how bad the hurricane will be. You might need to evacuate or your city/town could be powerless and gasless for weeks.

Once you’ve filled up, try to use your car as least as possible. You’ll probably be driving around to gather any remaining supplies you might still need so plan to fill up your car 2-3 times before the storm hits. However, don’t wait until you’re almost on empty to look for a gas station.

Gas runs out and it runs out fast.

And you don’t want to be one of those people driving around last minute, unable to find gas.

Also, make sure to take out cash. 

Once the hurricane hits, electricity normally goes out, and unless the restaurant and store has a generator, you’ll be finding yourself paying in cold hard cash.

Here’s another tip: Make sure you have singles.

Change might be scarce during a hurricane and you don’t want to find yourself having to pay $20 for a bottle of water and not get change back.

3. Assess Your Property & Stay Informed

Once you hear a hurricane is on its way, check your house for leaks and any potential weak links in the structure. You’ll also want to secure or bring inside outdoor items and start boarding your windows and doors.

You don’t want to find yourself putting them up in the middle of the hurricane.

Also, make sure to check your local media outlets at least 3 times a day. They’ll be reporting storm updates, along with local advisories and other useful information such as where to get free sandbags, what zone your house is in for evacuation purposes, and what shelters are open.

4. Buy Writing Tools

Procrastination could be a synonym for writer. We know it, you know it, so don’t deny it. Writers can be very energetic when they start writing but it’s putting their pens to the paper or hands on the keyboard that’s the problem.

“Well, I don’t have time,” is one of the most common excuses writers will use to put off writing.

Well, now you do.

Hurricanes are horrible, but, they keep you locked in your house, normally without electricity, so you honestly have nothing better to do. So why not write?

Make sure you have a journal, notebook or a stack of paper and some pens or pencils for the storm, even if you prefer to type your stories, because your electricity is almost guaranteed to go out.

Depending on how severe the storm is, you could be locked in your house 1-3 days or more, so use this free time to work on your craft. Work on a chapter you’ve been stuck on or start a new one!

Besides, nothing screams writer like writing the old-fashioned way with the light of a candle (although we recommend flashlights as they’re safer) beside you.

Plus, you can always transfer it to your computer later.

5. Buy a Stack of Books

Run to the nearest bookstore and buy yourself at least three books to help you get through the storm. Trust us, you’ll be bored out of your mind if you don’t.

The moment your electricity goes out, that’s it: No T.V., no social media and worst of all, no Internet!

But, that’s OK, because you’re a bookworm.

I mean, you can’t call yourself a writer if you can’t call yourself a reader, after all, so take this time to catch up on your reading.

If you want an easier way to share or remember everything you’ve read, we’ve gone ahead and created this infographic for you! Feel free to Pin it to your hearts desire!

And if you like what you read and want to see more, subscribe to our email list for more thoughts, quotes and writing prompts or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. 

Featured Image courtesy of NASA/Unsplash.