Thank you so much for all of your calls, texts and direct messages! I am safe and sound in North Carolina. With Hurricane Irma approaching, St. Simons Island and the surrounding areas were under a mandatory evacuation. So I boarded up our home and headed to Lake Toxaway, North Carolina with our neighbors. It was certainly a stressful time, especially traveling with two dogs and trying to fit everything valuable into a car. But we made it safely and the lake has been a great distraction from the Hurricane.

Right now, St. Simons is facing a nor’easter and tomorrow we’re expecting about 8-12″ of rain from Hurricane Irma. Tornadoes and storm surge are also extreme threats to our island. I’m hopeful that Irma will continue to weaken for everyone in its path.

This experience has taught me that it’s important to have an evacuation plan. There are so many things that you need to do to prepare for a storm and having a plan in place is so important. You’d be surprised how quickly hotels can become sold out and how gasoline can be a scarce commodity. I’d love to know any preparedness tips that you recommend! Please share them below!

Lastly, if you want to help the victims of Hurricane Irma, text IRMA to 90999 to make a one time donation of $10 to the Red Cross. Stay safe, everyone!