IHurricane Katrina toppled this oak tree
in my front yard. © 2005 Rosalie E. Leposky
Hurricane season in south Florida, from June 1 through November 30, should change the way you shop for food – and may change the way you have to cook.
After a hurricane strikes, you may not have electricity and potable tap water, so lay in a supply of non-perishable foodstuffs, bottled water, and other beverages. Also plan on some unusual meals to consume perishables in your refrigerator and freezer.
After Hurricane Andrew struck in August of 1992, power in my Coconut Grove neighborhood was restored within a week, but in some locations from Kendall south through Homestead and Florida City power was out for up to three months.
More recently, Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma battered southern Florida in 2005 – Katrina in August on her way to drown New Orleans, and Wilma in late October on the rebound from Cancún, Mexico. Both storms gave me a refresher course in preparing post-hurricane fare. My power was out for a week after Katrina and for almost three weeks after Wilma.
The same or worse could happen again during any hurricane season, so plan ahead and be prepared.
Another view of the toppled oak tree in my
front yard. © 2005 Rosalie E. Leposky
What you should do
To feed your family after a hurricane:
• Have at least a week’s worth of relatively non-perishable fruits and vegetables on your counter.
• Have at least a week’s worth of canned and packaged goods that you can easily make into a meal outside on your Coleman camping stove or over coals on your barbecue grille.
• Have plenty of paper cups, napkins, plates, and plastic eating utensils.
• Keep more than the usual amount of paper towels on hand.
• Have at least a week’s worth of pet food.
• For hurricane season, reduce your normal inventory of frozen foods and foods that require refrigeration, so you’ll have less to keep on ice – and less to lose if ice isn’t available – in the wake of a hurricane.
• Keep plenty of charcoal and propane on hand for cooking, and gasoline for a generator if you have one.
View from flooded street up the right side of my driveway
towards my house after Hurricane Wilma. Oak tree toppled by
Hurricane Katrina (center) was propped up in the interim,
and survived Wilma. © 2005 Rosalie E. Leposky
• Keep traditional hurricane lamps ready and have extra kerosene to fuel them. Their light is less effective than that of flashlights, but they will burn for hours at a time. Keep hurricane lamps in the center of the table and out of the reach of small hands and pets. They are dangerous and should be respected.
• Discuss your hurricane plans in advance with your neighbors. For everyone around you, the immediate aftermath is the same. You can’t go to another nearby neighborhood that hasn’t been affected to get a hot meal or shower. After a hurricane, cooking changes dramatically for a family and an entire city block. Consider communal dining with your neighbors. It’s a good way to share the hardships.
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Other stories:
Avoiding post-hurricane cooking blues
Hurricane clean-up is not a spectator sport
Health tips for Miami's hurricane season
Coming stories:
Cooking outdoors
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