The Calm Before the Storm

Here I am, blogging in the wee hours of the morning of the day when the tropical storm "Haiyan" is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility -- after which it will be called locally as the typhoon "Yolanda". According to reports, it is expected to strengthen in 48 hours, and most likely develop to be a SUPERTYPHOON. Its winds have a peak intensity of 241 kph! God forbid something very bad can happen. :(

Photo credit to PAGASA

It's true that people everywhere are panic-buying. I went to the grocery yesterday to buy some goods and supplies we need in the apartment for the storm. I went there at around 2 pm. Usually, there aren't that many people in the grocery (in Talamban) during that hour of day. I guess today was an exception. There were very long lines! So, I have no right to judge and laugh about people who panic-buy, cause I did the same myself. As what I always say, better to be safe than sorry!

Here is a list of what I think are ESSENTIALS when preparing for natural disasters:

1. RICE. As Filipinos, be sure to stock up enough amounts of our staple food. I am very much a rice-eater so we made sure we bought a lot (10 additional kilos)! If you think about it, rice is also very easy to cook. In a worse case scenario, the average Filipino could live off it even without ulam. Also, it's a very good source of carbs... essential for energy-demanding activities!

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice

2. CANNED GOODS AND NOODLES ...because they don't take much of a hassle to cook.

Inside our shelf

3. CANDLES AND MATCHES. Just in case the electricity goes out.

4. TOILETRIES. Women, especially, have to prepare their toiletries (Can't imagine if you ran out of napkins during your period and nowhere to buy them) for those days you actually need them the most!
5. MEDICINE. I bought Paracetamol just in case someone gets a headache/fever/pain when Yolanda comes to town.

Candles, matches, eggs, shampoo, toothpaste, vitamins and medicines

6. EMERGENCY LIGHTS/FLASHLIGHTS. Just like having matches and candles, it is for lighting up the room when the electricity eventually goes out. But even better than using candles, they give out a more steady supply of light... until the battery is all used up. Better charge all your light gizmos ahead of time!

Our ever faithful emergency light

7. A TRANSISTOR RADIO. My parents always say that in case of emergencies like this, you should have a portable radio with you. And please, it should have AM! A. M. is boring, but when calamities strike and all information sources are down (a.k.a TV, internet, even FM), you can listen to the radio! I asked my dad why A.M. and not F.M. He said that A.M. had much lower frequency compared to that of F.M. So, it's easier for waves/signals (iduno) to be detected and read. What we have in our house is an old-school little radio which is almost like what my lola has in her house when she listens to afternoon radio dramas. Hehe

Radio. Yep.

8. BRING EXTRA CASH. Be ready for the unexpected. Even a little bit of money can go a long way.
9. CLOTHES. Prepare a few clothes in a bag that you should bring in case you need to evacuate.
10. WATER. Last but not the least, always prepare enough water to last for a week. If you don't die because of the calamity, maybe you'd dry of dehydration. Also prepare water inside water bottles that you can bring with you anywhere.

That's my storm essentials checklist. Hope you guys prepare and most importantly pray for everybody's safety. Always remember to keep safe! God will always be in control. :)