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We Asked, You Answered: What Are You Buying For Hurricane Season?

hurricane supplies
C.M. GUERRERO
/
Miami Herald

It's the the last day of Florida’s week-long sales tax "holiday" on hurricane supplies. So, you may want to hurry up and by that generator, hand crank radio or gas tank--a bit cheaper than usual. 

The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1. Forecasters say the season could be near or above normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects five to nine hurricanes; one to four of those are expected to be Category 3 or higher.

To mark the beginning of the hurricane season, we asked our audience, "what’s on your list?" Here are some of the responses:

Jackie Harris in Hollywood has big plans for her mobile home this season. She's installing solar lights and buying a generator. 

We are outfitting our entire home inside and out with solar lights very important. And we will be buying a generator to power things like fans so we can get some sleep at night.

Miramar native Bob Dowling is buying a generator for his entire house, too, since his contractor wouldn't install one for his new home when he moved to Flagler Beach. Barbie Triana in Miami Beach has a generator on her list too. 

"That generator will make all the difference in the world," she texted WLRN. "I swear if I could afford it I would go Tesla Electric all the way. For the $15k-$20,000 investment though, I'll need to sock away almost $2,000 a month to make it happen."

Last year, Esperanza Rodriguez put wood over her windows, but thought it was "wasteful and time consuming." While she would like to buy shutters, it doesn't work with her budget. Instead, she's focused on what she can purchase: a solar panel about the size of a book. She plans on buying two more to charge her phone.

Greg McClendon's list is simple. He wants batteries, water, pork and beans, and a radio. Only the last item, however, qualifies for a sales tax discount. 

Rodrigo Magalhães sent us his list in a voice memo. He has two kids, two- and six-years-old. What's different this year, he says, is that he's buying extra gasoline, just in case. Magalhães doesn't want to be stuck in the long lines to fill up his gas tank and risk not getting fuel. 

I'm ready to spend $200 this time on food, water, fire and charcoal in case we need to boil water and we don't have energy. I'm also saving milk gallons and soda bottles [and] washing them to restore non-drinkable water. 

Nicholas Ceron from Royal Palm Beach only plans on getting wood and screws to reinforce his fence and butterfly holders for his shutters. He expects that he'll likely have to install them pretty quickly. Other than that, he's buying chocolate. 

And Kim Coe is buying something that definitely isn't on the sales tax holiday list: a plane ticket. 

What are you planning on buying for hurricane season? Any guilty pleasures? You can be part of the conversation here.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report. 

Katie Lepri Cohen is WLRN's engagement editor. Her work involves distributing and amplifying WLRN's journalism on social media, managing WLRN's social accounts, writing and editing newsletters, and leading audience-listening efforts. Reach out via email at klcohen@wlrnnews.org.
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