As Hurricane Ian moves closer to Florida, today’s tip concerns hurricane preparedness. Specifically, if you’re staying at a hotel in a destination that’s in a hurricane’s path, what should you do? SmarterTravel, via USA TODAY, ran a piece back in 2019 with answers to this question from one man’s experience. The story is called How to survive a hurricane in a hotel room, and it’s worth a read.
Among author Nate McFadden’s tips:
Evacuate early or hunker down: Before anything else, you need to know whether it’s safe or possible to leave. “If you are going to attempt to get out, aim to leave at least day before the storm is expected to make landfall,” writes Nate. “If you can’t get a flight, the hotel seems like a better place to be than the airport. And if you do make a break for the airport, make sure the hotel will let you back in if your flight is canceled.”
Prepare the room: “I foolishly assumed that we could ride out the storm in our room,” says Nate. “My wife, Christina, smartly packed all of our stuff in case we needed to move quickly. We also put our shoes by the door. This turned out to be very useful as we did have to be pulled out of our room after the sliding glass doors exploded. Before they exploded, we closed the heavy curtains. It was scary not being able to see what was happening outside, but it did keep much of the glass from showering the room. Christina also dragged the easy chair into the bathroom, which gave good cover when the doors blew out.”
Expect weird physical stuff to happen: For example: “The air pressure of Odile was really low for a Category 3 storm. When atmospheric pressure drops, your joints swell. This is why people with arthritis can predict the weather. If you have joint issues, make sure you have some anti-inflammatory pain medication on hand.”
For all of Nate’s tips, read the full story here.
