[Holly.88]

Being from Louisiana, I've been through a hurricane or two. My advice for the east coasters is first of all, stay safe. Hurricanes will throw out just about every type of violent weather you can think of. A friend of mine lives in Va and had her five pound dog picked up by the wind. Luckily, she was able to literally catch her dog in the air. And just because it calms down a little, does not mean its over. If you're in the pathway of the eye, be EXTRA careful. If you do lose power, do your best to stay cool. When La. was hit by Rita a few years back, we lost power for over a week and the worst part was not having any AC. If you have a gas stove, you are very lucky. Find the biggest ice chest you can and fill it with stuff from your fridge. If you are lucky enough to have a generator, please do not run it inside your home. They release carbon monoxide and will kill you if ran inside. It happens down here everytime. Charge your phones. The hurricane may not affect your cell service, I can't remember ever having any problems with mine. Try not to be alone. Hurricanes can be very scary and a little company doesn't hurt. I'm sure that some of this has already been said, but its just a few things that help out when goin' through somethin' like this. We're all prayin' for everyone who will be in this storm's path.