Article by Genevieve Printiss, Staff and Sophia Ziemer, Staff
It is crucial to be prepared as major storms can pose threats. While this may seem like a breeze for Floridians, the challenge of storm preparation can be daunting for students newly living on their own.
To ease these worries, Tallahassee Community College students, who have been through a major storm, provided advice.
Shane Keena is a second year TCC student who lost electricity during Hurricane Michael.
“The hurricane didn’t really cause damage to my home, but it definitely cost a lot to prepare,” said Keena. “Preparation is overall the most important part.”
Keena also says the threat of another hurricane does not worry him, as he feels more prepared for the next hurricane due to past flaws. He also gives some words of advice for the TCC community:
“You gotta think about it like you’re on an airplane, ‘put on your oxygen mask before helping those around you’ because if you can’t help yourself, then you can’t help others and at that point everyone’s screwed.”
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts 2019 to have at least nine storms. While this is not an unusual prediction for hurricane season, the past two years have produced stronger than anticipated hurricanes such as Micheal and Dorian, a trend expected to continue.
Nancy Dignon is a Professor of Meteorology at TCC.
“Have some cash on hand… charge up every device and power back-ups,” said Dignon. “Wifi will be out, so check your data plans and increase it now. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will eat up data.”
On top of this, Dignon recommends taking photos of all of your belongings for both memories and insurance claims.
“Fill tubs with water for flushing or washing… fill up gallon ziplocs 3⁄4 with water and stuff them around everything in your freezer; this will keep everything cold and as they melt, they provide fresh water.”
Dignon tells students to keep important documents on hand in a water tight container, and suggests changing your voicemail, stating the date and time with an update on your condition to avoid unnecessary calls.
Ryan Caraballo, a second year student from Orlando, was living on his own during Hurricane Michael.
“Get to the grocery store early for water, food, or whatever else,” since it is common for grocery shortages leading up to a storm.
Stephanie Miranda is a TCC second year student from Miami who faced flooding last year during a tropical storm. To combat flooding, Miranda advises students to take advantage of free sandbags from the city.
“They provide all the shovels and the bags for you to do it. It’s fun to do, honestly.”
Beyond sandbags, Miranda suggests to keep a first aid kit on hand.
“That, candles, and flashlight batteries… you never know.”
While storm preparation may seem daunting in the moment, Miranda reminds us to stay relaxed.
“Even growing up, it would always be like, ‘Oh, (a) hurricane’s coming. Cool.’ We’re all just gonna stay home now. We were just prepping, it was the fun part.”
For more information regarding storm preparation, contact TCC professor Nancy Dignon at dignonn@tcc.fl.edu or visit her office at SM242.
If you would like to be involved in providing assistance to those in need, contact American Red Cross at (850) 878-6080 or visit them at 1115 Easterwood Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32311
