Unfortunately, that leaves all the women home to "rush storm preparation to completion."
That brings up the matter of "permanent" preparations. Our island was devastated by a number of strong hurricanes around the time they were named after Saints, during the first half of the 20th century. Back then most homes were made out of wood.
From the 50's onward developers, pioneered by Levitt Homes, started building homes made out of poured concrete, reinforced cinder blocks and with concrete slabs as roofs. Now most homes, even humble ones in the mountains, are made of concrete.
I still don't understand why most homes and buildings in the mainland, particularly in those areas vulnerable to hurricanes and tornadoes, are made of light materials. Maybe concrete is not as energy efficient for colder climates. Maybe the ground in Florida is not strong enough to hold heavy structures. But our experience has demonstrated that concrete works, even if some homes look like bunkers.
That's why I am an advocate of building at least one poured-concrete safe rooms in mainland homes.
In my case, my "permanent" preparations include:
* My condo is, of course, built of reinforced concrete
* Accordion storm shutters. Pricey but convenient.
* A 1600W generator that can run a refrigerator and a few lights and fans. I run it once a month, and keep it full of gas during the season. It's a little Yamaha job that's quiet enough to run out on the balcony and runs for 11 hours.
* Potable water - All new buildings here must be built to include a potable water cistern. Additionally, I collect water in five-gallon cans when the first watch is issued and store in a closet for the duration of the season.
* My cars and motorcycle are parked in an enclosed concrete garage.
* Food - If I cannot get my hands on a case of MRE's (you can buy these things in places like USCavalry.com), I buy a stock of non-perishables at the beginning of the season which I donate to a food bank after the season is over.
Most people here (except many newcomers) realize that storms are very much part of our life and we need to learn to live with them. After all, we cannot evacuate to another state as you mainlanders can.