Good morning,
Unfortunately it appears that we may be in the path of Hurricane Isaias (no, I don’t know how to pronounce that) early next week. The National Hurricane Center right now predicts that our area may begin feeling the effects of tropical winds late Sunday and throughout Monday. The good news is that the storm is moving quickly. This has been an interesting year and let’s be honest; everyone is tired of Covid-19, social distancing and the constant disruption to our “normal” lives. It’s easy to have crisis fatigue at times like these and think that “this one won’t be that bad”. With the approach of a tropical event it is critical not to panic, but rather to methodically plan and prepare. I always like to say that it’s more important to plan on what you will do when something happens rather than worry about what might happen. Our community has been through this before and we have always come out stronger. Here are some basic reminders:
- Make sure you have provisions for a week at your home. This includes medications, pet food, batteries and flashlights, face masks and sanitizer.
- Stay tuned to the weather forecasts. Sunday appears to be the day to begin securing outside furniture, lawn ornaments and anything that may blow around. Don’t wait till the last minute. It is a very good idea to make sure your gutters are cleaned out prior to the storm and that your irrigation system is turned off.
- During the storm do not go outside and do not go down to the riverwalk. After the storm remember that anything that lives in the ground or in the woods has been disturbed and is likely to be very irritated. Be alert as you walk around after the storm.
- Plan on losing power for several days. We may not lose power but it’s better to plan for an outage. Keep in mind that it may be several days before cleanup crews can respond and just because you call for help doesn’t mean they will be able to get here right away.
- Keep an eye on storm drains around your home and in the street. Our stormwater system is designed to handle even the three feet of rain we got in hurricane Florence but a clogged drain doesn’t work. If you have a rake or shovel, keep it handy as it may be some time before someone else can respond.
- If you choose to evacuate for the storm, please make sure everything outside your home is secured and let your neighbors, along with Scott or Ron, know as well on your way out.
The portal has a number of extremely helpful documents in the Community Watch library regarding hurricane preparedness and yesterday’s post on the portal about Covid-19 and hurricanes is good to read again as well. We will update you again if conditions change and once we have a better idea of the storm’s path.
A wedding band was found at the pool recently. If you believe it is yours and can describe it, please email me directly.
Have a great weekend and thank you for your continued support.
John Lennon