Jacksonville, FL

In Florida, Memorial Day means more than somber ceremonies and outdoor grilling. That day is one of the last worry-free days Floridians have where warm weather is concerned.

Hurricane Season starts Friday, and Jacksonville’s Fire and Rescue Emergency Preparedness team wants city residents and travelers to head off as much confusion as possible if a big one hits.

Now is the time to set aside canned food and organize your emergency kit, learn evacuation routes and establish a rendezvous point for you and loved ones who may be in different places.

If you have pets, or if you have special needs, use the city Web site to register now.

If you have an abundance of the stately oaks we enjoy in our neighborhood, trim them. There’s nothing like a monster-sized limb landing on your roof to shake you up when the wind is howling like a banshee.

I’ve lived through two serious hurricanes, both of them when our home was in South Carolina. One of those storms, Hugo, literally turned on us. Every forecaster in our area except for TV weather man Jim Gandy said the storm wouldn’t be too serious for those of us in the central part of the state. But Hugo hit Charleston as a Category 4 storm, roaring inland, destroying one billion board feet of timber. I was nine months pregnant with our second child. I will always remember that night—it will be the stuff of stories I tell my grandchildren if I am lucky enough to have some one day.

I selected the video above from youtube.com because although I didn’t experience this storm, the sound on the video is similar to sounds I heard the night Hugo paid us an unwelcome visit. If I have such an experience again, I will definitely be as prepared as possible.

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