How To Prepare For Hurricane Matthew

After rampaging through the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew will make landfall in the US later this week. It is uncertain how destructive Matthew’s impact will be in the United States. Here’s what we do know: Matthew constitutes at least a Category 3 Hurricane and officials are taking the storm’s arrival very seriously. Governors in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina have declared states of emergency and are urging individuals on the coast to move inland. People stricken by panic are rushing to gas stations and grocery stores.  As a result, we’ve gotten to see the first indicator of shit hitting the fan, bare grocery shelves.  To some, this might sound laughable.  For those even mildly acquainted with prepping, they understand bare grocery shelves are the first step towards a much scarier environment.

By D-Ray a contributing author to SHTFBlog & Survival Cache

Think I may be exaggerating the potential damage this could cause? Recall Hurricane Katrina. For a few weeks in 2005, New Orleans looked like the set of an apocalyptic blockbuster. Even President Obama, a man not inclined to participate in fear mongering, said of Hurricane Matthew, “I want to emphasize to the public: this is a serious storm.”  Although we don’t know how devastating this hurricane will truly be, it must be acknowledged that this Hurricane has the potential to be tragically destructive. There are two strategies to deal with this: bug in or go inland.

Bugging In

There’s probably some badass in Fort Lauderdale chewing on the end of a cigar while he boards up his beach house and blasts Led Zeppelin’s When the Levee Breaks. His AR-10 is cleaned, loaded, and ready to repel hordes of looters. In his attic, he’s got enough food and water to last him 6 months. Who knows what motivates this guy. Maybe he likes the adrenaline of imminent danger or maybe he just really hates the idea of being burglarized. In any event, he understands one simple truth: the most convincing pronunciation of ‘law and order’ is made by the sound of a .308.

If stories from Hurricane Katrina are any indication, there are plenty of these gun wielding badasses prepared to meet Hurricane Matthew head on. To those weathering out the storm, we’d all like to hear from you. What motivates you? How did you prepare? I’m still trying to gather if these people are uncommonly courageous or mentally unhinged. In any event, I’m happy you people deter looters.

Also Read: Bug In Contingencies

If you aspire to bug in, I strongly suggest you thoroughly prepare. Anybody who thinks they can do this on a whim is going to be in for a very rough surprise. To begin, make sure your domicile is sturdy enough to survive a Category 3 Hurricane. Nobody is going to think you’re a badass when you’ve drowned yourself in a boarded-up, flooded house.

Next, consider the basics. Food and water are a must. You’re going to need lots of it and you better be sure it will last a while. I recommend gourmet supreme systems but you can go with whatever you like as long as it isn’t perishable.

If gardening isn’t your thing, you might have a few precarious tree limbs hanging around your house. Cut those things down before the weather gets nasty. Nobody wants a massive tree limb crushing their roof in the middle of a storm.

Boarding up your domicile is a good move. This allows for extra elemental protection and is a good barrier for those who intend to illegally enter your residence. Of course, a few boards aren’t going to keep out determined criminals.  Stay the hell away from windows. As tempting as it will be to look out at the ensuing damage, high winds can blow out windows and send glass shrapnel flying.  One last thing, keep a gun handy. In the post-storm anarchy, cops won’t be ready to protect you.

Going Inland 

While some might suggest this hurricane is a good opportunity for coastal residents to bug in, I’d gather a few things and head inland. At the end of the day, I don’t believe anything on your property is worth dying for. To those of you who plan on sitting tight and confronting potential looters, I salute you. Defending life and property from opportunistic scum is a total power move.

Read More: Top Ten Best Guns For Survival

For those of you who intend on evacuating inland, the three most important things you’ll bring are water, food, and gas. If the cleared out gas stations and grocery stores in affected areas are any indication, this is commonly held knowledge. For most Americans, the spoils of an emergency situation will go to the people who managed to hit Costco and the gas station first. Remember the old maxim, ‘fortune favors the brave’? In emergency situations like this, that maxim reads, ‘fortune favors those with a shitload of gas, water, and food‘.

I hope those living in affected areas go inland, stay in a hotel for a week, and return to unscathed properties. If you’re one of the few weathering this thing out, good luck and let us know how it plays out.

About D-Ray:

D-Ray is a recent graduate of CU Boulder and currently enrolled in a law school on the East Coast. By day, he is a mild mannered content writer; by night, he banishes unruly drunks into the black purgatory of night as a bouncer. He is passionate about the Constitution and First Amendment Rights. 

Photos Courtesy Of:
NASA
WikiMedia Commons
Marc Avarette

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