Preparing for Hurricane Irma
Last week, B and I looked at our gear for hurricane Irma. I had a lot since I have lived in hurricane prone states since 1997 (North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida), camped my whole life, lived near military towns (Fort Knox and Fort Bragg), traveled to war zones (Afghanistan) and covered Hurricane Katrina aftermath in New Orleans. I had to buy new batteries for flashlights, bought more serious rain gear, food and water. Packed up meds and nebulizer.
So that has been ready on Marco Island. The last four days we readied houses - mine (thank you Jimmy, John and Brendan!), B's in Olde Marco and B's in Naples. We helped our friend Karl, and Q (she needed rain boots and I was at Ace), checked Brad's condo, got water for neighbor John who helped hang plywood on my windows, helped shore up my parents' house and boat and a rental house.
In true Kyle fashion, I have some injuries- bruises and I was stung by some nasty flying thing that has caused a grapefruit sized red painful, dark itchy spot on my inner thigh. Of course.
Marco Island is part of a mandatory evacuation as of today - we'll head to North Naples (same county) tonight to stay with friends. Marco is in the pink surge zone - that's the worst. Where we're going is in Orange - it goes pink, yellow, orange. It would take a 20-feet of surge to get to us there. We're packed up and ready to go.
Some very dear friends are staying - be safe loves. And more importantly, be smart.
I'll take more video and keep you all posted as we go through this.
