Hurricane season

The first hurricane with the possibility to impact this province was met with as much anticipation and media coverage as a royal visit might garner. Almost every newspaper, radio station, and online website in the province had stories reporting on what Hurricane Bill would do to the province.

Fortunately, the end results were relatively tame, with no damage or significant troubles encountered - beyond Placentia's decision to call a state of emergency due to its low-lying geographic features.

In central Newfoundland, there was little to notice, as most of the heavy rainfall resulting from Bill came overnight.

It was a lucky start to the hurricane season overall, but whether future storm fronts lose their steam like Hurricane Bill did, one cannot be sure.

With that in mind, it is important to consider what sort of items are needed in the household in the event of a significant hurricane - one knocking out power, damaging property, and wreaking havoc on the community.

As a basic essential in any sort of situation, having food at your disposal is a necessity, but you need to consider whether the food can sustain a potentially lengthy period of time.

Canned foods are an obvious choice, as they can last in a cupboard for a very long time. Dried pastas can also be useful, unless water is scarce or there's a power outage, in which case it becomes less useful.

Dry cereal can work as a meal substitute in emergency situations. Baking supplies such as flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and honey also have a long shelf life.

Another essential item in emergency preparedness is batteries. Aside from powering flashlights to see during a power outage, they can also power a small radio, which in the event of a power outage during a hurricane may become your only link to the outside world.

Matches and candles can also be useful, however, people must be careful in using them, as they have the potential to make a sticky situation even worse if they accidentally cause a fire. This is something a flashlight is not likely to do.

In some cases, your home might not be the safest place to be if there is a potential for flooding. In this scenario, it is important to know what escape routes exist, and to also determine where is the best place to seek shelter.

If you are a fisher, it would seem obvious to keep up-to-date on the marine weather forecast, and if the situation seems at all risky, head for the shore.

Newfoundland and Labrador is not especially well known for being hit excessively hard by hurricanes, but it never hurts to be prepared for any situation that might arise.