Tropical Storm Isaac

In case you haven't heard, there is a tropical storm named Isaac entering the Florida Straits.  We are on the alert, getting ready for what is to come.  South Florida is under a tropical storm warning/hurricane watch.  That means we are expecting tropical storm conditions within the next 24-36 hours, and could possibly experience hurricane conditions within the next 36-48 hours.

Living in Florida means we know what tropical storms and hurricanes entail.  We are more lax when it comes to anything under a category 2 hurricane, but we also get ready for what may come.  Tropical storms are nothing to sneeze at; sadly, 3 people are reported dead in Haiti because of Isaac.  There are preparations that need to take place, and I've been getting us ready since yesterday.

We have enough canned tuna to last the entire hurricane season, along with a couple of cans of chicken.  There's bread, crackers, Nutella, peanut butter, cookies, granola bars, canned vegetables, canned beans, cereal, and several cases of water.  I brought in the patio furniture, locked up the shed tight, picked up all the small items in the front yard, and brought the garbage tanks into the garage.  The flashlights have batteries, and I will be charging phones shortly.  I think we are as ready as we are gonna get.

The question of putting up storm shutters came up, and I decided against it.  Now, before any of you starts going ballistic on me (that means you, sis), I have been watching the news and Hurricane Central all week, and from what we're looking at, even if the storm becomes a hurricane (which it is forecasted to become tonight), my area will only get tropical storm force winds and lots of rain.  I've been through hurricanes Katrina and Irene which were category 1 hurricanes, and we didn't put up the shutters.  Yes, it was windy, but we were okay.  For a category 2 hurricane, like Wilma was, we most definitely put the shutters up, but I made the call to not do all that work and live in the cave conditions that shutters produce.  We will be praying and trusting God who is bigger than the storm to keep us protected.

I ask my friends in the blogsphere to keep Florida in prayer.  Please pray for the folks in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and everyone that can potentially be affected by this storm.  Prayer is a powerful thing.  "Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice." - Psalm 55:17.  Thank you, and may God's blessings be upon you.